M23 remain in eastern DR Congo town despite announcing withdrawal

The Rwanda-backed outfit announced on Saturday that it was "repositioning its forces" outside the outskirts of Walikale to help create the right conditions for "peace and political dialogue".

At the same time, it said it would not allow government troops to return to the town, which is home to about 60,000 people.

On Saturday evening, Congolese soldiers said they would "observe with vigilance" the withdrawal and refrain from any offensive action, urging pro-government local militia to do the same "to encourage de-escalation".

Locals in Walikale and a Congolese military source on Sunday reported no fighting in the area around the town, which has been heavily attacked by the Congolese air force in recent days.

"We woke up to calm. There were no bombardments this morning. The M23 are still here," one resident told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A medical source, who also asked not to be named, said there had been no bombardment from Congolese jets and the M23 "are still with us".

One soldier described the situation as "calm" but could not confirm if the armed group had withdrawn.

Representatives of the government in Kinshasa and the M23 had been due to have direct discussions on March 18 in Luanda, the capital of neighbouring Angola, but they were cancelled at the last minute.

On the same day, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame "reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire" after a surprise meeting in Doha organised by Qatar.

On the ground, however, fighting has continued.

The M23 took control of Walikale on Wednesday evening. The town is located at the junction of two roads leading to Goma and Bukavu, which the group seized in late January and mid-February after a lightning offensive.

Goma and Bukavu are the main cities in North and South Kivu provinces, in the mineral-rich east, which has been blighted by conflict for decades.

Walikale is near gold deposits and the tin mine at Bisie, the world's third largest in terms of production and where operations have been halted since mid-March.