Tanganyika Traffic Resumes Between Kalemie and Uvira After Weeks of Disruption

Kalemie/Uvira, January 27, 2026 - After several weeks of suspension, lake traffic on Lake Tanganyika between the cities of Kalemie and Uvira officially resumed on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, authorities announced. The decision was confirmed by Christian Kitungwa Muteba, Governor of Tanganyika Province, in an official statement. The suspension had followed the deterioration of the security situation in Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu, which had been under the threat and control of the AFC/M23 rebellion. The instability posed serious risks to neighboring Tanganyika Province, particularly the danger of infiltration by lake. As a result, all lake movements - including trade, passenger transport, and migration - had been strictly prohibited by provincial authorities. With the withdrawal of the rebellion from Uvira and improvements in security, the government has now lifted these restrictions as part of broader efforts to restore state authority. “As part of the progressive restoration of state authority, ordered by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the resumption of all economic activities and migratory movements previously interrupted for security reasons, lake traffic between the cities of Uvira and Kalemie will resume as of January 27, 2026,” Governor Kitungwa Muteba stated. The reopening has been welcomed with relief by economic operators, travelers, and lakeside communities, for whom this route represents a vital corridor for commercial, social, and humanitarian exchanges between eastern and southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.