A rebel leader in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo says his fighters will withdraw from a key city at the request of the US. Corneille Nangaa's statement came days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the capture of Uvira by rebel forces violated a peace deal, and the US would 'take action to ensure promises made to the President [Donald Trump] are kept.' Nangaa said that rebel forces would pull out of the city as a 'trust-building measure.' The US accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels. Rwanda denies the allegation, but its President, Paul Kagame, signed a peace accord on 4 December with his DR Congo counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, at a ceremony in Washington hosted by Trump. The US president hailed the deal as 'historic' and 'a great day for Africa.' The rebels were not signatories to it - and have been taking part in a parallel peace process led by Qatar, a US ally that has strong ties with Rwanda. Nangaa is the coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition of rebel groups. It includes the M23, the most powerful force that European countries, along with the US, say is backed by Rwanda. DR Congo's army is supported by troops from neighbouring Burundi. The M23's capture of Uvira was a major blow to them, as the city is only 27km (17 miles) from Burundi's economic capital, Bujumbura, on the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika. Nangaa has announced that AFC/M23 will unilaterally withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira as requested by the United States mediation, emphasizing the need for a 'neutral force' to monitor a ceasefire and prevent the DR Congo's army from regaining lost territory. This announcement comes amid reports of widespread violence that has reportedly displaced around 200,000 people and led to numerous civilian casualties in the region. As the conflict continues to evolve, the implications for US investment strategies in the mineral-rich region remain significant.