Former Ituri Warlords Forge Alliance with AFC-M23

A United Nations Security Council report released in late December reveals that former leaders and seasoned fighters of the Congolese Patriotic Union (UPC) have been reactivated, while the Zaïre/ADCVI (Auto-défense des communautés victimes de l’Ituri) group has intensified recruitment efforts from displaced persons camps in Ituri. Thousands of fighters have undergone training at centers across Ituri, as well as at an AFC-M23 (Alliance Fleuve Congo – Mouvement du 23 mars) coalition training facility in Tchanzu and Uganda.

Key training camps have been established in Bini within the Mambisa chiefdom, led by Baraka Amos Maki, and in Bua within the Bahema Banywagi chiefdom near Tchomia, under Mandro Saliko. Additional sites, including Mabanga, Katoto, Nzebi, Dhego, Berunda, and Bua in Djugu territory, have also hosted training programs. The Zaïre/ADCVI group has fortified its alliance with the AFC-M23 coalition to coordinate attacks on the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in Ituri. Backed by the coalition, Zaïre/ADCVI has crafted a detailed strategy, identifying key operational areas, weapons transit routes, and troop movements along Lake Albert from Uganda, preparing for a large-scale offensive.

The AFC-M23 coalition has persistently sought to unite all armed groups in Ituri under its banner. Recently, Nangaa and other representatives engaged with leaders of the Ituri Patriotic Resistance Force (FRPI) and CODECO-URDPC (Coopérative pour le développement du Congo/Union des révolutionnaires pour la défense du peuple congolais). Zaïre leaders such as General Logo Marine and Baraka have made frequent trips to Uganda. Marine established a presence in Kampala, working closely with Lubanga, while also traveling to Rwanda and Bunagana in the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet with AFC-M23 representatives and facilitate training for Zaïre fighters in Tchanzu.

In July 2024, Lubanga dispatched envoys to Ituri to mediate between the MAPI (Mouvement d’autodéfense populaire de l’Ituri) and Zaïre/ADCVI factions, aiming to consolidate them and align them with the AFC-M23 coalition. While MAPI leaders chose to retain their independence, both groups agreed to collaborate with the coalition. MAPI spokesperson Benjamin Bahati subsequently joined the AFC-M23 in Bunagana.