Malawi president orders withdrawal of troops from DR Congo

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has ordered defense forces to begin preparations for a withdrawal of its troops from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a statement said on Wednesday.

The Malawi troops are part of a contingent of soldiers from the Southern African regional bloc deployed in Congo to help it tackle armed insurgents. The bloc extended the military mission late last year.

"President Chakwera has ordered the MDF (Malawi Defense Force) commander to begin preparations for the withdrawal of Malawian troops... to honour the declaration of a ceasefire by the warring parties there and to pave way for their planned negotiations towards a lasting peace," the statement said.

A rebel alliance, which includes M23 fighters, had declared a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons starting on Tuesday. But the M23 armed group launched a new offensive on Wednesday as it resumed its advance towards Bukavu, a city of one million people.

President Chakwera is due to attend a joint summit of the eight-country East African Community and 16-member Southern African Development Community in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

Several of Congo's neighbours have already said they are bolstering their defences due to the crisis.

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