The M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday pulled out of Goma, the capital of the eastern province of North Kivu.

The rebels have completed withdrawal from both Goma and Sake with the government restoring control of institutions, the Ugandan military said in a statement.

Uganda holds the presidency of the 11-member International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

The rebels, apparently reluctant to pull back, quit Goma after the regional grouping last week unveiled a plan for the compulsory withdrawal in a step to contain the flare.

The M23 entered Goma 10 days ago in response to Kinshasa's rejection of direct talks with the months-old rebellion.

Until Friday, the rebels had conditioned their departure on gains such as the control of arms left behind by fleeing government forces. Some attempted to stormed the Goma international airport being guarded by UN peacekeeping forces to seize the ammunitions.

The UN mission in DR Congo reached an agreement with the M23 on the issue before the rebels completed the pullout the next day.

The full name of the M23 is the March 23 Movement, which refers to the date when peace accords were signed in 2009 between the Congolese government and the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), a rebel group.

Under the agreements, former CNDP fighters were to be integrated into the national army, but some of them say they were not treated fairly and that the peace treaty was never fully put into effect, forcing them to mutiny and form the M23.

Since fighting started between the M23 rebels and the Congolese government in April, more than 475,000 people have been internally displaced and over 75,000 others have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring Rwanda and Uganda, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.