00:00Life is slowly returning to Uvira, a key commercial hub in South Kivu province.
00:12Residents are calling the army's presence a liberation.
00:15They say the M23's rule came with restrictions, triggering an economic crisis.
00:22When M23 controlled Uvira, the city was cold and empty.
00:26We had no business.
00:28There were no customers either.
00:30We only earned around four U.S. dollars from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
00:345 p.m. was our deadline.
00:37And after that, they would tell us to leave and go home and sleep.
00:43The M23 entered Uvira on December 10, days after DRC President Felix Sisekedi
00:49and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a U.S.-brokered peace deal in Washington.
00:54The M23's presence in Uvira came with a rigid form of order,
00:58causing intense fear among residents, a fear that has now died out.
01:05The current situation in Uvira is quite good.
01:08People are no longer afraid, unlike before when we used to work until late afternoon.
01:13Today, we work until whenever we want.
01:15The DRC government said it has begun implementing a plan to gradually restore authority in Uvira and its surrounding.
01:24The plan prioritizes security, protecting civilians, stabilizing social conditions, and restoring humanitarian and judicial activities.
01:33The return of the Congolese army and their allies, the Wazalendo, has instilled confidence among the people of Uvira.
01:42For over a month and a half, there was no security due to the presence of the rebels.
01:46But after the arrival of the army and Wazalendo, security has improved.
01:51People are beginning to move around and activities are resuming.
01:54Government officials have also started to reopen their offices, which proves that life is progressing.
02:00As part of its withdrawal, an M23 spokesperson said it was placing Uvira under the full responsibility of the UN and the international community.
02:11But despite the withdrawal, the rebel group still holds more territory, including Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces.
02:20While the return of the army to Uvira has been met with celebration, the government warns that the situation remains fragile
02:27and that the M23's withdrawal should not be viewed as de-escalation on its part.
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