WHY M23’s South Kivu Pullback Signals a Shift

In South Kivu’s Uvira territory, Congolese army units re‑entered the localities of Sange, Nyakabere and Luberizi after M23 rebels and their allies pulled back from the plain of Ruzizi. Lieutenant Mbuyi Kalonji Reagan, spokesperson for FARDC’s South Kivu command, said the rebels also vacated Mutarule and pledged that the forces “remain determined” to protect residents.

The withdrawal is part of a broader redeployment begun on 9 May, when M23 fighters began pulling out of several positions and moving toward Kamanyola, taking their equipment with them.

Local officials note that the pullback covers multiple settlements in the Ruzizi plain and Lemera highlands including Kabunambo, Sange, Nyakabere 1 & 2, Mutarule, Luberizi and Bwegera. Uvira territory administrator Jean de Dieu Mabiswa attributed the withdrawal to diplomatic pressure and confirmed that rebels were still visible at Luvungi.

FARDC’s deputy spokesperson warned that some M23 elements continue to hold frontlines and that in Luvungi they temporarily barred civilians from leaving their homes. Civil‑society leaders have urged residents to avoid former military sites because of possible unexploded ordnance.

Why it matters: Sange sits on the RN5 highway, a strategic corridor linking Bukavu to the port city of Uvira and the Burundian border. When M23 captured nearby Luberizi and other villages in December 2025, they pushed toward Sange and briefly seized it, placing the rebels within 25 km of Uvira and severing road links along RN5.

Their pullback now eases immediate pressure on Uvira and could pave the way for resuming cross‑border commerce, but the main Bukavu‑Uvira road remains cut off for the time being. With M23 still entrenched in parts of Walungu territory and able to return, the situation remains fragile.

Analysts say sustained security and demining will be crucial before displaced families can safely return and commercial traffic can resume.