Congo Research Group Center on International Cooperation New York University July 2018 Setting Fire to Your Own House Crisis in Kasaï: The Manipulation of Customary Power and the Instrumentalization of Disorder The Congo Research Group (CRG) is an independent, non-profit research project dedicated to understanding the violence that affects millions of Congolese. We carry out rigorous research on different aspects of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. All of our research is informed by deep historical and social knowledge of the problem at hand. We are based at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. All of our publications, blogs and podcasts are available at: www.congoresearchgroup.org and www.gecongo.org Cover image: © Private picture, all rights reserved. Contents 3 6 8 Glossary Executive Summary Introduction and Recommendations 9 21 30 History of the Conflict Analysis Conclusion and its Escalation 31 33 34 36 Annex A Annex B Annex C Endnotes Kamuina Nsapu List of remaining armed groups Ethnic Politics in Kasaï from and the Lulua in Kasaï and Kasaï Central the 1960s to the Present 2 Setting Fire to Your Own House Glossary Affranchissement: A process usually undertaken This is sometimes done by refusing to recognize with the consent of a groupement chief, who, a customary chief named by the ruling family, after coming to an agreement with one of his as in the case of Jean-Prince Pandi, or by legally kapitas (subordinate chief) agrees to create a new recognizing one who was not named by the ruling groupement with the kapita as its chief. It is usually family. done when the population of a groupement has Groupement: A Congolese administrative unit grown enough that the creation of a new one headed by a customary chief. Its position within can be justified. It is at the root of the historical the hierarchy of Congolese administration is: conflict between the Kamuina Nsapu and Ntenda Province-Territory-Sector/Chefferie-Groupement- lineages among the Bajila Kasanga. This is a Village. common occurrence in the Kasaï region. Alex Kande: Former governor of Kasaï Central Bajila Kasanga (sing. Mujila Kasanga): A large from the Lulua ethnic community, accused of Lulua clan that dominates a group of clans preventing Jean-Prince Pandi from obtaining a collectively referred to as “Mutombo.” It vies for state decree recognizing him as customary chief dominance of the Lulua with another group of in the Bashila Kasanga groupement. Head of a clans, dominated by the lineage of King Kalamba, Majorité Présidentielle-aligned political party referred to collectively as the “Katawa.” named Congrès des Alliés pour l’Action au Congo Evariste Boshab: A close ally of President Joseph (CAAC). Kabila who has been involved in the manipulation Clément Kanku: A politician from Dibaya of customary authority in the Kasaï region and territory of Kasaï Central province who allegedly who was instrumental in ordering the arrest of encouraged a Kamuina Nsapu militia in its initial Jean-Prince Pandi. His former positions include attacks of state institutions. He is a former vice chief of staff to President Kabila, president of governor of Kasaï Occidental province and a the national assembly, minister of interior, and national parliamentarian, formerly with the secretary-general of the Parti du peuple pour opposition. In December 2016, he was named la reconstruction et la démocratie (PPRD). He is minister for development cooperation, a position from the Ngende ethnic group of northern Kasaï he held for five months. province (a subgroup of the Kuba). Lubaphone: An umbrella term used to designate Chefferie: A Congolese administrative unit led Tshiluba-speaking populations from the Kasaï by a customary chief who inherits the title from region. The largest groups of these are Lulua and a member of his lineage. Administratively, it is at Luba-Lubilanji, but they also include the Bakwa the same level as a sector. Its position within the Nyambi in Kasaï province. hierarchy of Congolese administration is: Province- Territory-Sector/Chefferie-Groupement-Village. Lulua: A Tshiluba-speaking group located mainly in Kasaï Central and, to a lesser extent, Kasaï Chokwe: An ethnic group that regards its ancestral provinces. It forms part of the larger group of Luba homeland to be in the southern Kasaï region peoples in the Kasaï region that also includes the and in northern Angola. Some of the Bana Mura Luba-Lubilanji peoples, who reside mainly in Kasaï militias that mobilized against the Kamuina Nsapu Oriental and Lomami provinces. insurrection recruited in this community. Manga (sing. buanga): A Tshiluba term signifying Dédoublement: In the case of this study, a “medicine” or “fetishes,” depending on the splitting or doubling of power and the name given context. Used by Kamuina Nsapu groups and to the strategy by the Congolese government to militias in Kasaï as part of rituals designed to undermine the authority of customary chiefs. protect them in combat through occult means. 3 Crisis in Kasaï: The Manipulation of Customary Power and the Instrumentalization of Disorder Hubert Mbingho: Vice governor of Kasaï Pende: An ethnic group that regards its ancestral province from the Pende ethnic group, accused of home to be in the provinces of Kasaï, Kwilu, and complicity in organizing the Bana Mura. Kwango. Some of the Bana Mura militias that mobilized against the Kamuina Nsapu insurrection Maker Mwangu Famba: Former minister of recruited in this community. primary and secondary education, and former vice governor of Kasaï Occidental province from the Tshiluba: The language spoken by the Luba and Pende ethnic group. He is accused of supporting Lulua people of the Kasaï region. the Bana Mura militias. Tshiota: A Tshiluba term meaning “extended Jean-Prince Pandi: A traditional healer family.” It traditionally refers to the people who sit (tradipraticien) and member of the ruling class together in the evening around a fire, which is both of the Bajila Kasanga clan who previously resided a symbol of unity and a space where problems in South Africa. Following his uncle’s death, he are resolved. In the Kamuina Nsapu, the tshiota was named customary chief of the groupement became both a site at which new members were of Bashila Kasanga (Kasaï Central) by the ruling “baptized,” and an expression of the links created family there in 2012. After being denied a state among the new members. decree recognizing this nomination, he formed a Tshizaba: Traditionally, a clay pot in which medical militia that sought initially to prevent state agents remedies are prepared. In the context of the from entering his village, Kamuina Nsapu, the seat Kamuina Nsapu, the term also came to refer to of the Bashila Kasanga groupement. He was killed both the pot and the substance within it that were after a standoff with state security forces August used as part of the baptism of new members. 12th 2016. 4 Setting Fire to Your Own House 5 Crisis in Kasaï: The Manipulation of Customary Power and the Instrumentalization of Disorder Executive Summary and Recommendations Since August 2016, the Kasaï region has seen challenges, or to prevent further violence, without one of the most dramatic escalations of violence addressing national dynamics. The Congolese in Congolese history. A localized struggle over government will need to set up initiatives, backed customary power quickly spread across four by donors, to address customary conflicts and provinces, fueled by resentment over economic to reform traditional power structures. Efforts and political marginalization, and aggravated by to break the economic isolation of the Kasaï the government’s disproportionate use of force in provinces, and to promote inclusive dialogue repressing the revolt. Within the space of a year, should continue. Perhaps most importantly, 1.4 million people were displaced and dozens of government officials, including army officers, armed militias were formed. The Catholic Church must be held accountable for fostering violence counted 3,383 deaths due to conflict in the greater or using disproportionate force to quell it. Kasaï area between October 13th 2016 and June 17th 2017 alone. Recommendations While the insurrection, dubbed Kamuina Nsapu, was extremely brutal, the government’s narrow and Congolese government disproportionate military response compounded Depoliticize and render more transparent the the crisis. Instead of seeking a negotiated solution procedures for recognizing customary chiefs to the grievances of a provocative customary chief, by creating an independent state commission security forces killed him, then used extreme tasked with resolving customary conflicts, as brutality to kill hundreds of ragtag combatants – stipulated by the 2015 Law on the Status of many of them children armed with crude weapons Customary Chiefs. – and civilians. The army and police then helped set Prosecute abuses committed by members of up rival militias, which politicians at the national the police and army, including by acting on and provincial level supported. In contrast, there existing cases and evidence provided the United have been almost no sincere attempts by the Nations Human Rights Commission’s team government to address the root causes of the of international experts, by providing greater conflict or to seek its peaceful resolution. resources and power to military prosecutors. This crisis challenges a tacit assumption about the Investigate the involvement of provincial and Kasaïs: that widespread anger over political and national authorities in the backing of militias. economic marginalization could not lead to armed conflict. The rapid spread of the Kamuina Nsapu Undertake good faith efforts to collaborate rebellion should cause policymakers to re-evaluate with UN envoy Robert Petit in establishing how they assess political dynamics in the Congo responsibility for murder of two UN experts more generally. The main factors that caused the in Kasaï Central in 2017, including providing crisis are prevalent across much of the country access to witnesses.