Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi said on Sunday, December 21 that M23 rebels have not withdrawn from the strategic border city of Uvira, contradicting claims by the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) that its forces began pulling out late last week, at the request of the United States and would complete the process the next day.
Speaking via videoconference at an ad hoc summit convened by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Tshisekedi insisted that armed elements remain in Uvira and surrounding areas, strategic positions are still occupied, and civilians continue to face abuses. He stressed that any withdrawal not verified on the ground and not followed by the restoration of state authority cannot be considered credible.
President Museveni welcomed the summit’s discussions, expressing optimism about regional cooperation for lasting peace in the Great Lakes region. Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation, John Mulimba, said after the summit that Kenyan President William Ruto and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa—chairs of the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community—had been tasked with leading the implementation of existing peace initiatives. He called for a neutral regional force to verify claims surrounding the alleged withdrawal from Uvira, which M23 seized on Dec. 10 after a week of fighting and later described its pullback as a “trust-building measure.”
The violence has displaced more than 200,000 people, deepening a humanitarian crisis. The clashes escalated despite a peace agreement signed on Dec. 4 by Presidents Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame. Congo and Rwanda have traded accusations over the fighting, while the UN and Kinshasa continue to accuse Kigali of backing M23—claims Rwanda denies. The rebel group still controls large swathes of eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, seized earlier this year.