South Kivu : M23 rebels leave the Rusizi Plain and reposition in Katogota

SOS Mêdias Burundi

Bukavu, May 12, 2026 — AFC/M23 rebels left several localities in the Rusizi Plain, in the Uvira territory of South Kivu, on Monday. According to local sources, the rebels withdrew from Kabunambo, Sange, Mutarule, Luberizi, Bwegera, Lemera, and Luvungi to head towards Katogota, an area they already occupied in December 2025 before the Washington agreement.

This agreement, concluded between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stipulated several commitments aimed at reducing tensions and promoting stability in eastern Congo. It was signed under the mediation of US President Donald Trump. Burundi participated as an observer, represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye.

In several localities, notably Sange, Luberizi, and Lemera, residents took to the streets to celebrate the departure of the M23 rebels. Some residents expressed their relief after several months of tension and occupation.

“We are happy they are leaving; we are finally free. The Wazalendo and the FARDC are welcome,” said a resident of Sange interviewed on site.

Residents of Katogota confirmed the massive arrival of M23 rebels in the town, while other rebel groups reportedly headed towards Kamanyola.

Some local sources indicate that this withdrawal of the M23 rebels from the Rusizi Plain is linked to US diplomatic pressure as part of the commitments made following the Washington agreement.

This movement comes a few months after the withdrawal of AFC/M23 rebels from the city of Uvira on January 18, 2026. This departure, described as spectacular by several local sources, marked a significant step in the evolving security situation in the Great Lakes region. Uvira, located a few kilometers from Bujumbura, Burundi’s commercial capital and home to UN agencies and the central government, had been occupied for over a month before the rebels withdrew.

Burundi has deployed more than 29,000 soldiers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo alongside the FARDC, the Congolese loyalist army, and the Wazalendo militias supported by Kinshasa, according to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Security consulted by SOS Médias Burundi in December 2025. These forces operate primarily in South Kivu, having been driven out of North Kivu by the M23, along with government forces, contingents from the SADC (Southern African Development Community), and foreign mercenaries, amidst persistent insecurity.

Furthermore, following the recapture of some areas previously occupied by the M23 rebels, accusations have been leveled against Wazalendo militiamen. They are allegedly involved in acts of looting and destruction targeting homes belonging to members of the Tutsi community, according to several testimonies gathered in the region.

The M23 is a former Tutsi rebellion that resumed hostilities in late 2021, accusing Congolese authorities of failing to honor their commitments to reintegration. The rebels have seized control of several strategic areas, including the border with Uganda (Bunagana), Goma, the capital of North Kivu and the current base of the rebel administration, Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, as well as several mining areas, including the Rubaya site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits.

The movement is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). This political-military coalition advocates for a federal state in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Kigali denies, despite reports from UN experts indicating the presence of thousands of Rwandan soldiers alongside the M23 rebels. Rwanda, for its part, accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

On the ground, hostilities continue, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their villages, some to neighboring countries and others to camps for internally displaced persons.