Bisimwa: No M23 Withdrawal from Uvira Without Guarantees on Civilian Security
Bertrand Bisimwa, president of the M23 movement, has stated that the AFC/M23 coalition will not withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira unless its demands are fully implemented, stressing that the security and interests of civilians must take priority.
“In the event that our conditions are not respected, not a single one of our soldiers will withdraw from the city of Uvira,” Bisimwa said.
His remarks come as AFC/M23 announced a conditional decision to pull its forces out of Uvira, a move the group says is aimed at building confidence and supporting ongoing peace efforts. In a statement released by Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of AFC/M23, the coalition said the withdrawal decision was intended as a confidence-building measure in support of the peace process.
Nangaa explained that the move is linked to progress made in the Doha talks, particularly the signing of the Doha Declaration of Principles on November 15, 2025. He noted that these developments provided a framework for de-escalation and political dialogue.
AFC/M23 has also called on stakeholders supporting the peace process to establish a special mechanism to protect Uvira. The coalition is demanding, among other measures, an end to military operations in the area, the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure, and effective monitoring of the ceasefire through the deployment of neutral forces.
Meanwhile, residents of Uvira, in South Kivu province, staged demonstrations on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, calling on AFC/M23 forces not to leave the city. According to images shared on X (formerly Twitter) by AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka, large crowds took part in the protests, carrying placards and chanting slogans urging the group—whom some demonstrators described as “liberators”—to remain in Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu.
The protests followed an announcement made the previous night by AFC/M23 that it had decided to withdraw its troops from Uvira, a city the group had controlled for five days. The situation remains fluid, with uncertainty over whether the withdrawal will proceed amid competing political, security, and civilian demands.
