UVIRA, DR Congo - Fighters from the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group on Wednesday began withdrawing from their positions in Uvira, a strategic city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a Xinhua reporter observed on the ground.

"Movement of AFC/M23 forces out of the city of Uvira is underway and will be complete by tomorrow," M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa said on social media X, calling on the local population to remain calm.

Military vehicles and M23 members were observed pulling out of their main base in the city. Lawrence Kanyuka, the rebel group's spokesperson, confirmed the departure but did not provide further details.

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After claiming on Dec 10 to have seized Uvira, the M23 announced its decision on Monday to "unilaterally withdraw its forces" at the request of US mediators.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military coalition allied with the M23, stressed a "conditional" withdrawal, urging security guarantees, including the deployment of a neutral force.

In a statement on Monday evening, Nangaa said that the decision followed recent progress in the Doha peace process, including the signing of the Doha Framework Agreement in November.

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Uvira, located near the Burundian border on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, had served as the provisional administrative center for South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the M23 in February.

Analysts and local sources have warned that the loss of Uvira could, over time, open a corridor toward southeastern DRC, including Haut-Katanga, a key economic region. Fighting has also been reported further south in the Baraka and Fizi territories of South Kivu.