The AFC/M23 coalition says it understands the wishes of residents of the city of Uvira who have expressed that they do not want the group to withdraw from the city. However, it says the decision was taken with caution and assures residents that they will not be abandoned, as the coalition trusts that the conditions it requested will be respected.
In the early hours of the night leading into Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the AFC/M23 coalition released a statement announcing that it had agreed to withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira, which they had controlled for ten days.
This decision did not sit well with some residents of the city. As a result, on Tuesday, they took to the streets in protests, expressing their opposition to the coalition’s withdrawal, saying that after AFC/M23 took control of the city, they had begun to sleep peacefully.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTV10, the Deputy Spokesperson of AFC/M23, Dr. Oscar Balinda, said the whole world had witnessed that residents were pleased with the coalition, which he said rose up to end injustice and abusive practices attributed to the government side.
“Everyone can see that people were no longer crying out, that they had reached peace and security for all without discrimination. They trusted the security provided by those who came to liberate them; they were truly liberated,” he said.
Dr. Balinda added that this is why the coalition requested the establishment of a reliable mechanism to ensure the security of all residents of the city.
He said that as the coalition prepares to leave Uvira, it continues to engage in discussions with residents to reassure them that once they leave, nothing will disrupt their safety.
“We are engaging with our people, we are communicating and talking to them, and we are telling them: ‘We will not abandon you if we are to leave. We will leave behind a reliable and mutually agreed-upon mechanism to ensure your security,’” he said.
In a statement signed by the coordinator of the coalition, Corneille Nangaa, AFC/M23 said that the decision to release the city of Uvira was taken following a request from mediators from the United States of America.
Dr. Balinda said the decision is intended to give a chance to the ongoing dialogue process between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the coalition, which is taking place in Doha, Qatar.
He explained that whenever a mediator conveys a request to the coalition, it considers it carefully, and if it supports the path toward peace, the coalition complies.
Dr. Balinda further stated that after the announcement, AFC/M23 fighters did not immediately leave the city. Instead, they first conveyed the idea of withdrawing to the mediators, along with the coalition’s conditions. Only after those conditions are accepted would they proceed with the withdrawal.
He said that before the attacks that forced them to fight and take control of the city, they were stationed in areas including Kamanyola and Gatogota. Therefore, places to return to after withdrawing from Uvira will not be lacking, and this too is among the issues to be discussed.
“We will see where we return to, but anywhere within our country. After all, this would not be the first time we have pulled back. We withdrew in late 2022 when the East African Regional Force arrived. These are things we have done before; we also left Walikale Centre and pulled back,” he said.
Balinda noted that all these actions are taken to demonstrate political goodwill aimed at achieving lasting peace, adding that they hope the opposing side will not take advantage of this decision to commit atrocities.
RADIOTV10
