Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered preparations to begin for the withdrawal of the country's troops from the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo amid a unilateral ceasefire declared by rebels, Malawi media reported.
Following the failure of mediation efforts under the auspices of Angola, the M23 rebel movement has resumed its offensive in the eastern DRC in recent weeks. The authorities of the republic accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the rebels and call on it to withdraw troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda denies all accusations.
After the M23 rebels captured the capital of the Congolese province of North Kivu, the city of Goma, in late January, they announced a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons. The unilateral truce they declared has been in effect since February 4.