Ugandan forces officially deployed to Bunagana will give the M23 forces time to vacate, said Capt. Kato Ahmad Hassan, spokesman for the Ugandan contingent of the regional force.
“We appreciate the command of the M23 for being cooperative to the contingent, for according us a safe passage and for allowing us to occupy Bunagana,” he said.
Bunagana is located only 60 kilometers northeast of Goma, a hub for international aid organizations and the U.N. peacekeeping mission known as MONUSCO. The town is also near the border with Uganda, making it an important transit point for goods being imported into the DRC from as far away as China.
The rebels' departure from Bunagana has been a key demand during several rounds of mediation efforts on the crisis in eastern DRC, where more than 120 armed groups have been fighting for land, power, and resources - and some to protect their communities.
Ugandan troops, which are part of the East African Community Regional Force in eastern Congo, will now try to bring about M23's sequenced withdrawal from other areas under rebel control including Kiwanja and Mabenga.
While the Bunagana withdrawal is a positive step, it doesn't signify a lasting resolution to the conflict, said Trupti Agrawal, senior analyst for East Africa for the Economist Intelligence Unit. “The pullout is a sign of progress on regional mediation efforts, but that itself is a highly fragile process,” he said.
