The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) has announced that it will unilaterally withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, describing the move as a confidence-building measure under the ongoing Doha peace process.
In a statement dated December 15, 2025, the coalition said the decision follows progress made under the Doha Framework Agreement signed on November 15, 2025, which brought together regional and international mediators seeking to de-escalate fighting in eastern Congo.
"In light of these achievements, and despite the continued provocations and abuses from the FARDC and its allies, the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) has decided to initiate a unilateral trust-building measure in order to give the Doha peace process the maximum chance to succeed," the statement, signed by the group's political head Corneille Nangaa, reads.
The group said it would withdraw its forces from Uvira "as requested by the United States mediation," marking one of the most significant concessions announced since talks resumed late this year.
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AFC/M23, which has over the past two years captured large swathes of territory in North Kivu and parts of South Kivu, has established a parallel civilian and security administration in areas under its control, including local taxation systems, policing structures and administrative appointments.
At the weekend, the rebels overwhelmed the combined forces of Congolese national army Fardc and their backers from Burundi and Wazalendo militia and captured Uvira, effectively taking control and cutting off Burundi from DR Congo.
The capture of Uvira followed two weeks of fighting that escalated shortly before the Washington Accords signed by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Washington on December 4.
The expansion has significantly altered the balance of power in eastern Congo and intensified regional tensions, particularly involving Rwanda, Burundi and the Congolese government.
Uvira, a strategic city near the Burundian border and Lake Tanganyika, has been a focal point of military movements and diplomatic concern due to its proximity to regional trade routes and armed group activity.
Citing past withdrawals, AFC/M23 warned that previous trust-building measures had been exploited by the Congolese army and allied militias to retake territory and target civilians perceived as sympathetic to 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," the group called for firm guarantees.
It urged guarantors of the Doha process to ensure the demilitarisation of Uvira, protection of civilians and infrastructure, and the monitoring of the ceasefire "through the deployment of a neutral force."
The Doha talks build on earlier diplomatic efforts, including the Washington Accords, under which the United States sought to align regional actors around de-escalation, ceasefire compliance and the disengagement of armed forces.
Those accords laid the groundwork for external guarantees and confidence-building measures, which mediators say are essential given the collapse of previous ceasefires.
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In its statement, AFC/M23 also addressed concerns raised by neighbouring states about cross-border armed activity, saying it would not allow hostile groups to use areas under its control as rear bases.
"Finally, concerning armed groups hostile to the Government or Burundi that remain active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the AFC/M23 reiterates that it will not allow such groups to use liberated areas as rear bases for any hostile acts likely to undermine good-neighborly relations between our two countries," the statement said.
The announcement was signed by Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, Coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo, who presented the withdrawal as a test of the international community's ability to guarantee civilian protection and enforce the ceasefire.
The Congolese government and the FARDC had not issued an official response by the time of publication.
