The AFC/M23 movement on Wednesday, December 17, begun pulling out its forces from the town of Uvira in eastern DR Congo in accordance with an announcement it made earlier this week. On December 15, the AFC/M23 announced a unilateral withdrawal of its forces from Uvira, a move it referred to as a major confidence-building step aimed at advancing the Doha Peace Process and achieving a lasting solution to the conflict in eastern DR Congo. In a statement released on December 15, AFC/M23 said the decision follows “significant progress” under the Doha Peace Process, including the signing of the Doha Framework Agreement on November 15, 2025. ALSO READ: FDLR razes village in Walikale, killing four Footage aired on Al Jazeera on Wednesday appeared to show AFC/M23 fighters on the move from the town. Pour raison de la paix, nos troupes depuis cet après-midi, ont commencé à quitter la ville d'uvira. pic.twitter.com/x2JbBFedqu — Willy NGOMA (@WillyNG0MA) December 17, 2025 Lt. Col. Willy Ngoma, an AFC/M23 spokesperson, posted on X that the withdrawal was under way, saying: “For reasons of peace, our troops since this afternoon have begun to leave the city of Uvira.” ALSO READ: DR Congo coalition continues targeted extermination campaign against Banyamulenge civilians – AFC/M23 Bertrand Bisimwa, the AFCM23 rebellion's deputy coordinator, said the movement of forces would be completed by Thursday. “The movement of the AFC/M23 forces out of Uvira is underway and will be completed by tomorrow [Thursday]. We call on the civilian population to remain calm. We request the mediators and other partners to ensure that Uvira is protected from violence, reprisals, and remilitarization.” Shortly after AFC/M23 captured Uvira, on December 10, the town’s residents were photographed taking to the streets to show their support for the rebel movement. When the rebels later announced their decision to withdraw from the town, residents again appeared on the streets, this time to protest the abrupt decision. It is not yet clear which neutral force, if at all that is the case, will take control of Uvira. Despite announcing their withdrawal, AFC/M23 earlier warned against what it described as a pattern in which the Congolese army coalition exploits peace gestures to retake territory and target civilians accused of sympathising with the movement. “Based on past experiences where FARDC, Wazalendo and their allies have sought to take advantage of AFC/M23’s trust-building measures to retake control of previously lost territory and target the population perceived as sympathetic to the Alliance, AFC/M23 calls on the guarantors of the peace process to establish adequate measures for the management of the city, including its demillitarisation, the protection of its population and infrastructure, and the monitoring of the ceasefire through the deployment of a neutral force,” read the rebels’ December 15 statement.
