DRC-Rwanda Peace Process: M23 Rebels Withdraw from Ruzizi Plain (South Kivu) — First Significant Territorial Concession Since December 2025 Washington Accords

In a significant positive development for the DRC-Rwanda peace process, M23 rebels made a unilateral withdrawal from the Ruzizi Plain in South Kivu, relinquishing territorial gains from a late 2025 offensive — the first concrete territorial concession by the Rwanda-backed armed group since the December 4, 2025 Washington Accords were signed, as documented by the Critical Threats Africa File (May 14, 2026). The Doha process — Qatar-mediated direct talks between the DRC government and the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)/M23 — continues alongside the US-facilitated Washington framework, and the 5th Joint Oversight Committee (JOC) met on April 23, 2026 with US, Qatar, Togo, and AU Commission representatives present. Significant challenges persist: Rwanda has been assessed as 'deeply disappointing' (US State Dept, April 23) for non-compliance with the accords; the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), whose disbanding is a key Rwandan demand, has not disbanded; and over 7 million people remain displaced in eastern DRC. The DRC National Assembly adopted Washington Accords ratification bills on April 28 and sent them to the Senate for second reading, establishing a domestic legal framework. The Ruzizi withdrawal is a positive signal but analysts at Crisis Group note that M23/Rwanda have previously made tactical withdrawals while maintaining strategic pressure, so sustained compliance monitoring by COVM (the joint verification mechanism) will be critical.