Archive · 19 Jan 2026

Army regains control of Congo town after rebel withdrawal

Army regains control of Congo town after rebel withdrawal

The Congolese army and a pro-government militia have gone back to a town called Uvira in eastern Congo.

This happened a little over a month after a group of rebels called M23 took control of the town.

M23 is a rebel group that has been fighting in the area and has taken over more territory than ever before, including two big cities.

The rebels said they would leave Uvira to give peace talks a chance, but there has still been fighting around the town.

The Congolese government and M23 have been blaming each other for stealing things in the town.

Rwanda, which is a neighboring country, says it is not supporting the rebels, but a report by the United Nations says that Rwanda is actually in control of the rebels.

There have been talks to try to make peace, with the United States and Qatar hosting different meetings.

African leaders have also said they support the peace talks and want them to start again soon.

Sources