Other War Crimes
Some Rebel Factions and their Relation to War Crimes
GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED ARMY
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC)
-the official government army
- National Army Chief of Staff - Charles Mwando
REBELS
National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP)- led by renegade general Laurent Nkunda
- Former General in Armed Forces of DRC – became rebel warlord in what he called attempt to protect his fellow Tutsis
o accused of murder, pillaging, abduction of children as soldiers
o involved in massacres of civilians in 2002 and 2004
- - General Bosco Ntaganda worked with Nkunda
- - Created a splinter faction in 2009
- - Was arrested in 2010 for supposed:
o Assassination of 8
o Arbitrary arrest of 7
o Abduction and disappearances of several others
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)
- also active in the DRC
- created in September 2000 with the ideals of Hutu power and opposing Tutsi influence
- many arrested in 2009 for war crimes
o including rape, forced recruitment of child soldiers, and attacking civilians
-their president, Ignace Murwanashyaka, and executive secretary, Callixte Mbarushimana are well-educated men who are defended by many Europeans, including the French government
-mostly the evidence is testimony of former generals, so it is hard to prove anything
Mai Mai
- community based militia grew out of the 2nd congo war
- used local tradition to inspire themselves
- loose association of mai mai groups across the DRC – headed by tribal leaders, village leaders
- General Didier Bakti is one of the militia leaders of the organized Mai Mai that terrorized eastern Congo in 2008
- - They fought the gov., the rebels, and the United Nations
-in 2009, many members were tried in the International Criminal Court
o found guilty of crimes against humanity including terrorism and insurgency, due to involvement in rape, executions, and other war crimes
o the court also held the government of the DRC responsible for not disarming the Mai Mai
Lord’s Resistance Army
- rebel group based in Uganda led by Joseph Kony
- With a doctrine of intense Christianity, traditional African religions, and mysticism, this group speaks of establishing a theocratic state
- Accused of many human rights violations: murder, abduction, sexual enslavement, mutilation, conscription of children
Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (ADFLC)
- helped coordinate ousting of first leader President Mobutu for new President Kabila
- -fell apart, marking the beginning of the second war
- -forcibly recruited thousands of children
- -according to accounts of children who escaped the army
o they are often taken in raids on schools
o witnessed pillaging of Kirungu village, deaths of thousands of unarmed commandos
o have two to three weeks basic training, then are sent out, some without guns or anything to defend themselves
o they would sometimes steal children’s clothing to discourage them from escaping, and beaten and torture if they attempt escape
o A Rwandan Colonel described the army as “made up of youngsters, obedient and disciplined, but who needed to be better supervised, better trained”
Front National Liberation of the Congo (FNLC)
- -active in the 1970’s
- -sparked 2 international wars by invading Shaba Zaïre
Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD- Goma)
- -ally of ADFLC
- -particularly associated with recent child recruitment, though this is a common practice across militias, armies, and factions
- -claims to have “inherited” the child soldiers from the ADFLC
- o it is estimated that 15-30% of ALL new Congolese recruits are less than 18 years old, and many are less than 12
Although there are a bunch of different groups they don't seem to act very differently. Even if they stand for different ideals and represent distinct ethnic groups their actions are similar. They all use rape, assination, abduction, mass murder, and other methods of terror to achieve their ends. This fact reminds me of "Ruined." In the play actors play both rebel and government soilders indicating that the two armies are not so different. Also, the two leaders, Kisembe and Osembenga, act in similar ways and are accused of similar crimes. It is difficult to say if one side is the good or the right side. This idea also raises the question of are these different factions and armies actually solving anything? Since they all seem approach fighting with a bloodlust for revenge and continue to fight violence with violence they seem to only perpetuate the chaos.
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