The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo say they have retaken control of the strategic eastern city of Uvira after the March 23 Movement - widely referred to as M23 - withdrew its fighters following weeks of occupation and intense fighting. Uvira, a crucial commercial and transport hub on the shores of Lake Tanganyika near the Burundi border, had fallen to M23 forces in December 2025 during a rapid offensive that shook the security situation across eastern Congo and heightened concerns about regional instability. For the latest from Kinshasa and the eastern front, is Channel Africa Correspondent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jimmy Shukrani Bakonera, Channel Africa Correspondent