On Wednesday, the Alliance of Congolese Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (AFC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels announced they had seized Uvira in South Kivu.
This tightening of their control across the Kivus follows their dramatic capture of the key eastern city of Goma in February 2025. Goma has since become their de facto capital. Their consolidation of this volatile, resource-rich territory is more than a tactical move.
