M23 rebels withdraw from several positions in eastern DR Congo: Report

KIGALI, Rwanda

The AFC/M23 rebels have withdrawn from several positions in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, local media reported on Friday.

The rebels began moving on Monday from several villages they had occupied for over a year in North Kivu's Lubero territory, Radio Okapi reported, citing security sources.

Following their withdrawal from towns such as Lunyasenge, Bukununu, Musiya, Katondi, and Kipese, the rebels reportedly camped in the Alimbongo, Kirumba, and Kanyabayonga areas.

Earlier on Thursday, North Kivu Governor Evariste Kakule Somo told local media in Lubero town that he had seen an "effective withdrawal" from several areas, which several media outlets mentioned in their coverage.

He urged people to remain calm, saying the rebel movement is part of the “implementation of peace agreements, particularly the US-brokered peace accords."

On Dec. 4, 2025, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a "historic" peace and economic agreement aimed at putting an end to the fighting in eastern Congo.

The agreement was signed following a peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump in June of last year.

Despite these developments, the security situation remains fragile following intensified fighting between the AFC/M23 and government forces, according to local sources.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Kanyuka, an M23 spokesperson, accused the army and pro-government fighters of launching attacks overnight using “kamikaze drones” against their compatriots in the Mikenke locality and its surrounding areas in a post on US social media company X on Friday.

There is yet no official communication on the claims from Kinshasa.

But Kanyuka claimed that the attacks resulted in two deaths and one injury, adding that “these massacres occur despite the effective implementation of confidence-building measures by the AFC/M23.”

M23 has been at the epicenter of the conflict in eastern Congo. The rebel group, which is allegedly supported by neighboring Rwanda, controls significant territory in eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which it seized in early 2025.