Congo army return to strategic eastern town captured by rebels

Congolese soldiers return to the strategic eastern town of Uvira as per residents’ accounts on January 19th,  just after a month when Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seized the town in a blow to Trump-mediated peace efforts, Reuters reported on January 20th.

The eastern Congo town had served as a base for the Congo state-appointed government, and was infiltrated by the M23 rebels on December 11th in one of its biggest captures in months.

After the rebels seized the strategic town, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Rwanda was breaching the peace deal, prompting the M23 to agree to give peace talks another chance. But heavy fighting has continued on the borders of Uvira, with both parties accusing each other of looting in town.

While Trump’s peace deal was called a “turning point” in peace efforts, both the M23 rebels and the Congolese government have been participating in a parallel deal in Qatar.

A meeting with African leaders in Togo on January 17th reiterated their support for the peace talks in Doha and called on both parties to resume talks without further delay.

Witnesses in Uvira said that Congolese soldiers had returned to the town over the weekend and retook their positions before the seizure by the M23 rebels.

A South Kivu province governor, whose province, Uvira, is part of, said that the Congo-Burundi border, which was closed by the M23, would be reopened.

The M23 rebels have been accused by the UN of mass killing civilians, with many ethnic groups being rooted out. Whereas the M23 has denied these accusations, saying they were a smear campaign by the Congolese government.

The Rwandan government maintains that any activity in eastern DR Congo is strictly defensive and aimed at securing its borders. However, UN investigators have presented evidence suggesting that Rwanda exercises significant command, control, and logistical support over the M23 rebel forces.

Reuters, Maghrebi.org