M23 Rebel Group Says It Is Ready To Withdraw From Occupied Areas In DRC

The M23 rebel group, which is one of the main militant groups fighting in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Tuesday said that they are ready to withdraw from areas that they occupy in the region, in respect to the resolutions of summit held in the Angolan capital, Luanda, last month, reported The BBC.

Notably, the rebel group has taken swathes of territory in Rutshuru and Nyiragongo under its control in recent months. The M23 has also requested a meeting with the East African Regional Force as well as the mediators of the peace process being spearheaded by regional leaders.

Lawrence Kanyuka, the M23’s political spokesperson, said in a statement that the rebel group supports regional efforts towards and a lasting solution to the instability in eastern DR Congo.

The announcement comes as a week-long round of peace talks concluded in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Tuesday.

In related news, the East African States (EAC) leaders on Tuesday announced that the DRC government and armed groups will hold peace talks in January in eastern DRC, following three previous meetings in Kenya.

The announcement was made at the end of the third session of the inter-Congolese dialogue, which lasted for eight days in Nairobi representatives. Some 50 armed groups, the government and civil society members attended the talks.

The M23 rebellion, which is leading an offensive in the east of the country, is not participating in these discussions. A former Tutsi rebellion defeated in 2013 took up arms again in November 2021 and in recent months has conquered large swathes of territory north of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

“A meeting will be held in January in Goma and Bunia to assess progress and begin to address the medium and long-term agenda,” the EAC, which is mediating the talks, said in a statement.