AFC/M23 Rebels Capture "Point Zero," Opening Way to Fizi-Centre

Mitumba, DRC, January 17, 2026 - The village of "Point Zero", located on the border between the territories of Fizi and Mwenga, on the Mitumba massif, fell to Twirwaneho fighters, allies of the AFC/M23 rebels, on Friday morning, January 16, 2026, after two days of fierce fighting against the FARDC, supported by the Wazalendo. Since Thursday, January 15, heavy fighting had been reported in Tuwetuwe, about 15 km from the Mikenge displaced persons camp in the Itombwe sector, where Twirwaneho fighters pushed the army back towards Point Zero. According to local sources, the FARDC position was attacked on Friday morning, forcing soldiers to retreat to Mulima in the Basiloca group (Tanganyika sector, Fizi territory). “We were attacked at 5:00 a.m., and by 9:00 a.m., all FARDC soldiers had left the front and were heading towards Mulima. We found ourselves alone on the battlefield. That is why we were forced to retreat when the enemy occupied the village around 10:00 a.m.,” a security source reported. Point Zero, built in 2018 by displaced people fleeing intercommunal conflicts in Fizi, Mwenga, and Uvira, was a FARDC stronghold. Its occupation by rebels forced residents to flee in torrential rains to Bilende, Kanguli, Nakiele, Mulima, and Lusuku, where their living conditions remain extremely precarious, with no assistance after abandoning their homes. The fall of Point Zero, the army’s last stronghold in the area, opens the path for the rebels along the Mulima-Mukera axis towards Fizi-centre, enabling further advances toward Tanganyika province via Misisi, bypassing Baraka. This development marks a significant strategic gain for the AFC/M23 and allied forces, intensifying the humanitarian and security crisis in the region.