Peter Mwai
BBC Verify senior journalist

We have verified video showing fighters belonging to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group on the move in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after M23 announced a withdrawal from the city of Uvira in South Kivu province which it seized a week ago.

The M23 had taken contorl of Uvira despite a ceasefire deal agreed between the governments of Rwanda and DRC and had come under increasing diplomatic pressure to withdraw its forces from the city.

The DRC government has reacted with scepticism, with a spokesperson asking on XL “Where are they going? How many were there? What are they leaving behind in the city? Mass graves? Soldiers disguised as civilians?”

We can’t tell where they are heading, but in the footage we have verified the fighters, together with vehicles, move north past the Uvira police headquarters.

We confirmed where the clips were filmed by matching the distinctively painted road kerbs, buildings and trees to satellite imagery.

The leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition of rebel groups which includes the M23 group, had announced on Monday that the group would withdraw from the city as a “trust-building measure”.

It followed a request from the US which has been mediating between the governments of Rwanda and DRC.

The rebels remained present in the city after the announcement but on Wednesday M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma announced the group had begun withdrawing troops. The group said it intends to complete the withdrawal today, but has warned against militarisation.