M23 Rebels Agree to Continue ‘Orderly Withdrawal’ – Kenyatta
Former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said on Thursday that M23 rebels have consented to continue their "orderly withdrawal" from land they have seized in the unrest-plagued east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
M23 Rebels Agree to Continue ‘Orderly Withdrawal’ – Kenyatta
Former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said on Thursday that M23 rebels have consented to continue their “orderly withdrawal” from land they have seized in the unrest-plagued east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to a statement from his office, Kenyatta met with M23 leaders in his capacity as the conflict’s mediator on behalf of the seven-nation East African Community regional bloc.
In recent months, M23 has made significant territorial gains in North Kivu province and has moved closer to Goma, the province’s capital.
However, in response to intense international pressure, it promised to withdraw and last Friday returned a crucial base used by the Congolese army just 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Goma.
During the handover ceremony at Rumangabo camp in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 6, 2023, M23 rebels protect the area while East African Regional Force (EACRF) officials and rebels meet.
Kenyatta said in a statement following the meeting in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, “In a demonstration of goodwill and the willingness to work towards the settlement of the situation in North Kivu, the leaders of the M23 agreed to continue with an orderly withdrawal and to adhere to a strict ceasefire.”
The East African Regional Force, which has started to take charge of the territories abandoned by the M23, was also agreed to continue to respect and collaborate with, he continued.
M23, short for “the March 23 Movement,” resorted to violence against the government in the latter half of 2021, blaming Kinshasa for breaking its word to reintegrate the rebels into the army.
The base in Rumangabo was handed back after a similar exchange at a base in Kibumba last month, however the rebels have made gains elsewhere, casting doubt on the conflict’s prognosis after a year.
