M23 Rebel Group Agrees To Continue Orderly Withdrawal From DRC- Says Kenyatta

The M23 rebel group has agreed to continue their orderly withdrawal from conquered territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Thursday, reported The Africa News.

 Kenyatta, who is playing the role of a mediator and represents the group of five East African countries, met M23 leaders in the Kenyan city of Mombasa on Thursday.

According to a press release by the former president released after the meeting, the rebel leaders also agreed to adhere to a strict ceasefire.

“As a pledge of goodwill to work towards a settlement in North Kivu, the M23 leaders have agreed to continue their orderly withdrawal and to respect a strict ceasefire,” Kenyatta said in his statement.

As per the statement, the M23 rebels have also agreed to continue to respect and cooperate with the East African Regional Force (EAC), which has begun to take control of the areas vacated by the rebels.

These withdrawals of the M23 group follow the decisions taken during a summit held on November 23 in Luanda. The peace deal calls for a ceasefire and the departure of the rebels from the areas conquered for a year.

The Tutsi-dominated March 23 Movement rebel group took up arms again at the end of 2021 and has since captured swathes of territory in North Kivu province. The rebels accused Kinshasa of not having respected commitments on the demobilization of its fighters.

Its resurgence has reignited historic tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, accused of supporting the M23 and fighting with it.

Kigali denies it, accusing the Congolese army of collusion with a Rwandan Hutu rebellion established in eastern DRC since the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda.

Earlier this week, the DRC government condemned Rwanda for saying it will no longer accept people fleeing conflict in the eastern part of the country.