Congolese Army Overwhelmed

CONGOLESE ARMY OVERWHELMED

MONTHLY REPORT - JANUARY 2020

After two extraordinarily deadly months for civilians in the Kivus, the number of those killed by armed actors increased again in January 2020, with 210 violent deaths recorded. That makes this month the deadliest since the Kivu Security Tracker (KST) started keeping records in June 2017.

1 Three flashpoints remained particularly active: Beni territory, where large-scale massacres were once again committed, mostly by Ugandan Islamist combatants of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF); Walungu, where the hunt for Rwandan Hutu rebels of the National Council for Renewal and Democracy (CNRD) once again caused the death of civilians; and in the highlands of Fizi and Uvira, where there were clashes between community militias. This coincided with a considerable escalation of the conflicts in Rutshuru territory between the Nduma Defense of Congo-Rénové (NDC-R) and the Congolese army (FARDC) on the one hand, and the Nyatura militia and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), on the other. The Congolese army, which is understaffed and facing significant logistical issues, appears incapable of bringing abuses against civilians to an end in any of the four flashpoints. Due to this continuing insecurity, there have been reports of an upsurge in militia mobilization and the failure of the demobilization process, particularly in Lubero, Kalehe, and Shabunda territories.

Beni: The Elusive ADF After two extremely deadly months in Beni territory, the number of civilians killed dropped slightly, to 94. This is still, however, a very high number: the average recorded by KST was 24 deaths per month prior to last November. The ADF Islamist rebels were once again incriminated in the vast majority of killings of civilians (85 deaths out of 87) (MAJ). The Congolese army had made some encouraging announcements at the start of January by declaring having taken “Madina,” the ADF headquarters, and having killed five of its six heads. However, in reality, the trend is rather disappointing. After four weeks of relative calm (15 deaths were recorded between January 1 and 27), there has been an alarming upsurge in killings. On January 28, Beni territory even saw its most deadly day since the start of this recent wave of killings, with 38 victims in the villages of Manzingi and Mebundu. Other significant killings were also committed on January 29, 30, and 31. The location of the deadliest incidents to the west of the Beni-Eringeti trunk road suggests that at least part of the ADF have evaded FARDC operations, which were carried out to the east of this road, and have managed to regroup in new safe havens. According to a captured former member of this group, ADF groups are reported to be currently operating out of Mangina territory, in Ituri province. However, these attacks could also be a diversion by the ADF to force the FARDC to change its area of operations. To cover the west of Beni territory, the FARDC is said to have forged an alliance with the Mai-Mai Uhuru, who are present in the area, according to an internal source within this armed group. They do not appear to have the organizational capacity or enough troops to be able to control the entire territory. Although a regiment or battalion in theory comprises at least 750 soldiers, some of those deployed in the region of Beni only consist of approximately a hundred soldiers, and at most 600 for the best of them, such as the 32nd Brigade, according to several Congolese military sources. MONUSCO troops took part in repelling a suspected ADF attack against a FARDC position in Mayi-Moya on January 2. But they do not appear to be able to protect civilians throughout the territory either.

Beni and Butembo: the Mai-Mai Kabido on a recruitment drive There was a significant rise in the number of clashes in January, with 8 incidents (compared with 3 the previous month). These were mostly between the FARDC and the Mai-Mai Kabido group. The latter group seems to be actively gaining in strength and recruiting new people. According to some of their members, which the KST has been able to contact, this mobilization, mostly within the Nande community, aims to prevent any expansion of the killing observed in Beni territory to Lubero territory, or to Butembo town.

Walikale, Masisi and Rutshuru: NDC-R supremacy challenged

The Petit Nord saw a marked increase in civilian deaths with 74 victims in January in Walikale, Masisi, and Rutshuru territories, more than twice the number for December. This is partly due to the fierce resistance to the advance of the Nduma Defence of Congo-Rénové (NDC-R), who are seeking to uproot the FDLR from Rutshuru territory. In the chiefdom of Bwito (west of Rutshuru territory), this resistance mostly comes from the Nyatura militia, in particular Domi, who are allies of the FDLR. This fighting is particularly deadly for civilians, whether as collateral victims or killed due to their being suspected of complicity with the enemy. The NDC-R killed 18 civilians in Katsiru on January 22 during an attack against the Nyatura and the FDLR. This caused a protest by inhabitants against the abuses and against the collaboration of Congolese army officers with this group. A police station was burnt down during the unrest. Following these events, the Réseau des patriotes résistants congolais (RPRC, a coalition grouped around the NDC-R) published a statement calling on “the population of Bwito” to “disengage from the FDLR” to avoid “shedding tears” because their “bullets would not be able to tell the difference between a Nyatura and [an] FDLR”. However, these Nyatura attacks against the NDC-R and the Congolese army also caused the death of civilians, like in Kabumba and Mutwangano on January 6 (nine killed). Also, despite the death of Jean-Michel Africa last November, his group, the Rally for Unity and Democracy (FDLR-RUD), stepped up their abuses in Bwisha chiefdom, with 17 incidents causing the death of 14 civilians, including 6 in Kinyandonyi on January 15. The FDLR-RUD have clashed on five occasions with the FARDC, whose morale seems very low. Its 3407th Regiment based in Nyanzale, went on “strike” for several days on January 27 in protest against the “misappropriation” of their food rations. They even refused to pursue some kidnappers, which caused a “ghost town” day, and indirectly, the lynching of four suspected kidnappers. The territories of Walikale and, to a lesser extent, Masisi, seem more tightly under the control of the NDC-R. Only seven clashes took place in both territories in January, mostly with the People's Alliance for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS), who are the latest armed group to challenge their supremacy.

3 Several surrenders also took place in Masisi territory, such as that of self-appointed general Machaano Tabangeshe (who had not been active for over a year according to KST records) and of the Nyatura Delta, whose head had already surrendered in December.

Goma and Nyiragongo: insecurity remains on the rise Six civilians were killed in January in Goma and the Nyiragongo territory, which is the highest number for six months. Several of these deadly incidents relate to the presence of organized gangs of thieves. A security agent was killed while trying to prevent a break-in in the neighborhood of Himbi and a student was killed by the police during a car chase with other thieves.

Kabare, Kalehe and Idjwi: end of the road for Ngubito Alphonse Kabishula, aka Ngubito, the head of a Raia Mutomboki militia, was captured on January 25 by a rival group, the Mai-Mai Kirikicho, who handed him over to the FARDC. He is now being prosecuted for the organization of an insurrectional movement. His group, the Raia Mutomboki Kabishula, was involved in 7 incidents, and its members killed two civilians, according to KST information. However, he surrendered with his troops at the start of 2019 and has been confined to quarters in Kamina, until his escape last November. Additionally, a hundred or so Nyatura Kalume, who had been confined to the village of Numbi in Kalehe territory, returned to the bush over the course of the month due to a lack of official action.

Mwenga and Shabunda: more deadly fighting against the CNRD The offensive launched by the Congolese army against CNRD Rwandan Hutu rebels last November in Kalehe territory (December report link) continued between January 5 and 11 in the chiefdom of Lwindi, in Mwenga territory. According to several local authority sources and a Congolese officer, Rwandan Defense Force (RDF) troops took part in the clashes alongside the FARDC. Some of these sources described the fighting as a conflict “between Rwandan brothers.” According to multiple local authority sources, several wives and children of CNRD combatants were killed in the fighting. A Congolese police source told KST that he had seen “the rotting bodies” of the “women and children” after the fighting and provisionally estimated the number of civilians killed at 27, which we were unable to verify. According to a Congolese officer and a local authority source, RDF members left the area in mid-January, which coincides with the end of the fighting. According to that local authority source, more than 500 members of the CNRD remain dispersed across Mwenga territory. This residual presence is still perceived as a threat, particularly in the neighboring territory of Shabunda. Fear of their arrival, as well as the lack of official action by the Congolese authorities, has incited several Raia Mutomboki groups (Ndarumanga, Donat, Habikuanagaliye, Mabala, and Kazimoto) to leave the village of Kasheyi, where they have been confined while waiting to surrender and to take up arms again.

Fizi, Uvira and Walungu: threats to the Banyamulenge community

4 Sixteen clashes were logged by the KST in January, three more than in December. These were mostly between militia from the Banyamulenge community (Ngumino and Twiganeho) and militia from other communities present in the territory, with the latter seeming to have gained the upper hand. Six Ngumino were killed on January 3 in Ibumba (Fizi) during fighting with the Coalition nationale pour la souveraineté du Congo (CNPSC). Five community members were also killed in Kahololo (Uvira) on January 25 by the Mai-Mai. Other attacks led to the destruction of villages and theft of cattle. Hate speech aimed at this community has also grown in January in these territories. January also saw the defection of Michel Rukunda, aka Makanika, a colonel in the Congolese army, who justified this due to concern over defending the Banyamulenge community. To date, this has not resulted in any visible repercussions. However, very few other Banyamulenge army members, under close surveillance by their colleagues, have joined him and no incident involving his group has been recorded by the KST.

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The Kivu Security Tracker (KST) is a joint project of the Congo Research Group, based at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch trains and provides any other assistance to KST researchers but does not independently verify all of the incidents tracked and does not necessarily support all of the arguments raised by KST.