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The Kivu conflict is an umbrella term for a series of protracted armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which have occurred since the end of the Second Congo War. Including neighboring Ituri province, there are more than 120 different armed groups active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, some of the most active rebel groups include the Allied Democratic Forces, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, the March 23 Movement, and many local Mai Mai militias. In addition to rebel groups and the governmental FARDC troops, a number of national and international organizations have intervened militarily in the conflict, including the United Nations force known as MONUSCO, and an East African Community regional force.
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The National Congress for the Defence of the People is a political armed militia established by Laurent Nkunda in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2006. The CNDP was engaged in the Kivu conflict, an armed conflict against the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In January 2009, the CNDP split and Nkunda was arrested by the Rwanda government. The remaining CNDP splinter faction, led by Bosco Ntaganda, was planned to be integrated into the national army.
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Laurent Nkunda is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is the former warlord operating in the province of Nord-Kivu, sympathetic to Congolese Tutsis and the Tutsi-dominated government of neighbouring Rwanda. Nkunda, who is himself a Congolese Tutsi, commanded the former DRC troops of the 81st and 83rd Brigades of the DRC Army. He speaks English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Lingala and Kinande. On January 22, 2009, he was put under house arrest in Gisenyi when he was called for a meeting to plan a joint operation between the Congolese and Rwandan militaries.
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Raïa Mutomboki or Raiya Mutomboki are a Mai-Mai militia operating in the South Kivu region in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The group formed in 2005 to fight against Rwandan Hutu groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) as part of the Kivu conflict.
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Kitchanga, also known as Kitshanga, is a town and a camp for Congolese Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the Rutshuru Territory of North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kitchanga is located 119 kilometers north of Goma and 10 kilometers north of Burungu. It also lies near Kizimba and Budey villages.
References
- 1 2 Teresa Wiltz, The Most Dangerous Women in the World: Justine Masika Bihamba, ”More” magazine, 24 May 2010
- 1 2 3 4 5 Justine Masika Bihamba – Dem. Republic of the Congo, World People’s Blog, 21 January 2007
- ↑ Ben Affleck, The deadliest war, Washington Post, 30 November 2010
- ↑ Testimonies of Human Rights Defenders: Justine Masika Bihamba, Front Line Defenders
- 1 2 Human Rights Defender at Risk: Justine Masika Bihamba in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Amnesty USA, 10 February 2009
- 1 2 Evaluating the Dutch National Action Plan on UNSC Resolution 1325 after one year of implementation, WG1325, December 2008
- ↑ Review Conference of the Rome Statute: 31 May-11 June 2010, International Criminal Court, June 2010
- ↑ AI Index: AFR 62/005/2008 North Kivu: No end to the war against women and children, Amnesty International, 2008
- ↑ Democratic Republic of Congo (2010-2011): Situation of Human Rights Defenders, The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), 27 January 2012
- ↑ Témoignage de Justine Masika Bihamba (video), DailyMotion, 14 June 2011
- 1 2 The Netherlands supports Justine Masika’s work, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN, United States, 16 May 2012
- ↑ How Congolese Activists Stopped M23? [Usurped!], Falling Whistles, 12 November 2013
- ↑ Peace Award Laurates, 1988-2014, Pax Christi