M23 Withdraws from Uvira After US Request

March 23 Movement has announced its withdrawal from Uvira, a strategic town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the request of the United States. This move is intended as a unilateral trust-building measure to advance the Doha peace process, which involves separate talks between March 23 Movement and the Democratic Republic of the Congo government, hosted by Qatar. The withdrawal follows criticism from the United States, particularly from Marco Rubio, who stated that Rwanda's alleged support for March 23 Movement violated the Washington Accords, a peace deal affirmed by Donald Trump and the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. While March 23 Movement claims to be withdrawing to establish a buffer zone, reports indicate that its fighters were still present in Uvira. The Democratic Republic of the Congo army, represented by Gen Sylvain Ekenge, has expressed its intent to regain full control of the city. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands and raised fears of regional spillover, especially impacting Burundi due to its proximity to Uvira.