Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have withdrawn from the strategic town of Walikale, describing the move as a goodwill gesture ahead of planned peace talks with the government next week.
M23 has seized eastern Congo's two largest cities in a swift advance since January that has resulted in thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes.
The fighting has raised fears of a wider regional war, as Congo's neighbours Uganda and Burundi also have troops in the region.
Congo's government and M23 plan to hold their first direct talks in Doha on April 9, sources from both camps told Reuters this week.
Situated along a road linking four eastern Congo provinces, Walikale is in an area rich in minerals including tin.
M23 pledged to withdraw from Walikale last month but initially failed to do so, accusing the Congolese army of going back on its own commitments and not withdrawing attack drones.
Two residents and a local official confirmed to Reuters this week that they had left the town. Army spokesperson Sylvain Ekenge told Reuters on Friday that Congolese troops were there, confirming M23 soldiers had left.
"If the forces of the Kinshasa regime continue their provocations or attacks on civilians in the liberated areas and on our positions, this gesture of goodwill will automatically be cancelled, and we will eliminate the threat at its source," Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the rebel alliance that includes M23, said in a statement on X on Thursday.
Doctors Without Borders said this week that civilians, along with its own teams, had been trapped by the violence in Walikale and that essential medical supplies would soon run out there.
The United Nations and Western governments say Rwanda has provided arms and troops to the ethnic Tutsi-led M23.
Rwanda has denied backing M23 and says its military has acted in self-defence against Congo's army and a militia founded by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels issued identical statements on Wednesday pledging to pursue peace after more than a week of talks in Qatar, where violence and mutual distrust dominated the agenda.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended former President Joseph Kabila’s political party and ordered the seizure of his assets over allegations of supporting M23 rebels in the country’s conflict-ridden east.
A passenger boat caught fire and capsized late Tuesday on the Congo River, killing at least 50 people and leaving hundreds more missing, officials confirmed Wednesday. The tragedy occurred near the northwestern town of Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have withdrawn from the strategic town of Walikale, describing the move as a goodwill gesture ahead of planned peace talks with the government next week.
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European foreign ministers signed the Lviv Statement supporting a special tribunal and a U.S.-backed ceasefire, during a visit to Ukraine that included a memorial tribute to fallen soldiers.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Friday that early signs ahead of this weekend’s U.S.-China trade talks in Switzerland appear positive, with both sides showing mutual respect and a constructive tone.
A new U.S.-supported initiative to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza is expected to start operating shortly, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Friday, though specific details are yet to be made public.
U.S. President Donald Trump signaled support for steep tariffs on Chinese imports, calling 80% levies “right” ahead of high-level trade talks in Geneva aimed at easing escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing.
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European foreign ministers signed the Lviv Statement supporting a special tribunal and a U.S.-backed ceasefire, during a visit to Ukraine that included a memorial tribute to fallen soldiers.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Friday that early signs ahead of this weekend’s U.S.-China trade talks in Switzerland appear positive, with both sides showing mutual respect and a constructive tone.
A new U.S.-supported initiative to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza is expected to start operating shortly, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Friday, though specific details are yet to be made public.
U.S. President Donald Trump signaled support for steep tariffs on Chinese imports, calling 80% levies “right” ahead of high-level trade talks in Geneva aimed at easing escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing.
Kazakhstan and Pakistan signed a series of trade and transit agreements during a high-level business forum in Karachi, paving the way for expanded commercial cooperation and long-term logistics development between the two countries.
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