The M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have withdrawn from Walikale, a key town in the country, ahead of planned peace talks with the government next week.
Walikale is famed for its large deposits of tin and gold and is near major cities like Goma, which the rebels seized in January.
Thousands have died, and many displaced from their homes since the war between the armed group and the Congolese military escalated this year.
The war has stirred fears of a wider regional war as Rwanda and Uganda, neighbouring countries, have stationed troops in the DRC.
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Rwanda has been accused of backing the rebels—a statement it has repeatedly denied. Uganda has sent soldiers to assist the Congolese government in the war.
The M23 pledged to withdraw from Walikale last month but initially failed to do so, accusing the Congolese army of going back on its commitments and not withdrawing attack drones.
In a statement on Thursday, Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the rebel alliance that includes M23, said the group’s withdrawal from Walikale was a “gesture of goodwill”, one that would automatically be cancelled if “the forces of the Kinshasa regime continue their provocations or attacks on civilians in the liberated areas and on our positions”.
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Kanyuka threated that the group “will eliminate the threat at its source”.
The Congolese army spokesperson said on Friday that troops were back in the town, confirming the M23’s departure.
The planned talks are set to take place on April 9 in Doha—the same country that hosted President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and his Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, in a surprise meeting.
Both presidents called for a ceasefire between the M23 rebels and the DRC army.
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