Veterans of the Mai-Mai militia have created a new armed group called “Raïa Mukombozi.”
MONUSCO military spokesman, Lt. Col. Felix Prosper Basse, said, October 17 the leaders of this new armed group intend to fight their former comrades and control Shabunda territory.
Felix Prosper Basse reveals that the two former executives of Mai-Mai Raïa Mutomboki who created the new militia could not stand the regular clashes between the two factions of their former internal movement.
“These two factions have been fighting for a long time to control Shabunda, especially control of the mines that are in this area,” he noted.
It’s alleged that the new armed group wants to recruit in Shabunda, Lt. Col.Felix Basse is very concerned by the situation, announcing that the Congolese military “will soon launch operations in this sector.”
In September, the Joint United Nations Office for Human Rights (UNJHRO) expressed his concern for violations of human rights committed by militia Raïa Mutomboki between mid-August and early September 2012 in the territory of Masisi in North Kivu.
The militia was accused of killing dozens of civilians and burned villages.
The Raïa Mutomboki claim to be a self-defense militia fighting against Rwandan FDLR rebels. But they illustrate regularly abuses against civilians.
In April 2012, they signed an agreement in principle with the FARDC Shabunda-center for the pacification of the territory.
The militiamen were committed to disarm and return to civilian life. The military authorities had promised to guarantee security if they laid down their arms. The agreement was never followed.
In September, the militia had even taken control of some areas of North Kivu including Njingala and Walikale-center, before being dislodged by the FARDC.
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