Congo’s M23 rebels withdraw from seized positions in goodwill gesture

Democratic Republic of Congo’s M23 rebels on Friday began withdrawing from some territories they had seized in recent offensives as part of what one of the group’s leaders termed a goodwill gesture in a ceasefire brokered by East African regional leaders.
The rebels handed over positions they had occupied around Kibumba, some 20 km (12.4 miles) north of the Congolese city of Goma, to commanding officers of the East African Community regional force.
“It is a gesture of goodwill that the M23 will make today,” Colonel Imani Nzenze, one of the military leaders of M23, said during the ceremony.
“It is in the name of peace and a gesture that is part of the recommendations resulting from the mini-summit of heads of state held in Angola in November 2022,” he added. “We hope that the government of Kinshasa will seize this opportunity.”
The government of Congo was not immediately available for comment.