The truce is expected to eventually see the withdrawal of the group from “occupied areas” in the eastern part of the country.
“The Secretary General urges the M23 to respect the ceasefire in order to create the necessary conditions for its full and effective withdrawal from all occupied areas in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in accordance with the decisions of the mini-summit in Luanda held on November 23,” Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman, said at a press briefing in New York.
He added that the U.N. chief “condemns all violence against civilians and renews his call on all Congolese and foreign armed groups to lay down their arms and disarm unconditionally.”
The DRC has accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels, who have taken up arms and seized vast territories in North Kivu, a mineral-rich province after its 2013 defeat. Despite U.N. experts backing allegations of Rwanda's support for the rebels, Kigali has repeatedly denied this.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Kinshasa Saturday, but he did not clearly condemn Rwanda, instead issuing warnings.
The DRC “must not be the spoils of war, the open looting (of the country) must stop. Neither looting, nor balkanization, nor war,” Macron said speaking alongside his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi, who once again denounced the “unjust and barbaric aggression” against the DRC.
In September, at the U.N. General Assembly, the DRC president accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of “direct” military “aggression” and “occupation” in eastern DRC through his alleged support for M23.
Since then, under the auspices of the African Union and Angolan President Joao Lourenço, a de-escalation plan has been discussed.
Last month, an appeal was launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a “withdrawal of all armed groups” in eastern DRC before March 30.
Lourenço had given a March 7 ceasefire date last week. Macron assured Kinshasa Saturday that all had “provided clear support” for this truce.