SUMMARY
The rebel group MLC (Mouvement pour la Libération du Congo, Movement for the Liberation of Congo) was created on 6 November 1998 with the aim of overthrowing the Kabila government. The movement was led by a millionaire businessman, Jean-Pierre Bemba, whose father had been a business associate of former President Mobutu. Bemba was regarded to be an authentic Congolese leader and enjoyed strong public support in the Équateur province. Although Bemba had no political experience and little military training his movement grew rapidly. In December 1998 MLC consisted of 154 rebels and twelve months later it was a force of over 6000. The rebels had access to many of the Congolese riches such as gold, diamonds, timber and precious stones and consequently they have managed to finance their own war. In July 1999, the MLC captured Gbadolite, where it established its headquarters.
In January 2001 MLC merged with two other groups, RCD-K-ML (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Kisangani-Mouvement de Libération, Congolese Rally for Democracy-Kisangani-Liberation Movement) and RCD-National (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-National, Congolese Rally for Democracy-National), after negotiations led by the Ugandan Government. This merger formed FLC (Front de Libération du Congo, Front for the Liberation of Congo). Jean-Pierre Bemba was chosen as the front figure. In June 2001, the FLC split back into its former factions when fighting between RCD-ML and MLC in Beni broke out. After that, MLC and the smaller faction RCD-National fought together on the battlefield.
RCD-National was an RCD faction led by Roger Lumbala. He defected from the RCD group in February 2000 to Kampala. In Kampala Lumbala joined the RCD-ML and was deployed as mobilisation officer to Bafwasende, northeast of Kisangani. There Lumbala found his support base for launching a new opposition force, the RCD-National on 2 June 2000. The new rebel splinter group was based in a district between the two zones of RCD-ML and RCD-Goma. The primary importance of Bafwasende appears to be its location in a diamond-rich area.
Both MLC and RCD-N were part of the peace agreement 2003 ending the intrastate conflict. The groups were integrated into the national army and Jean-Pierre Bemba was one of four Vice-Presidents in the transitional government and Lumbala was appointed minister of external trade.
MLC has been involved in the intrastate, non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence. RCD-N has been involved in the non-state category, and together with MLC in the non-state and one-sided category of UCDP organised violence.
RCD-National (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie–National, Congolese Rally for Democracy–National) was an RCD faction created in 2000 and led by Roger Lumbala. It was part of the FLC (Front de Libération du Congo, Front for the Liberation of Congo) in January to June 2001.
Lumbala defected from the main RCD to Kampala in February 2000. In Kampala, he joined the RCD–ML (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie–Mouvement de Libération, Congolese Rally for Democracy–Liberation Movement) and was deployed as a mobilisation officer to Bafwasende, northeast of Kisangani. There Lumbala found his support base for launching a new opposition force, the RCD–National on 2 June 2000. The new rebel splinter group was based in a district between the two zones of RCD–ML and RCD–Goma. The primary importance of Bafwasende appears to be its location in a diamond-rich area.
In 2001, the RCD–N joined the RCD–ML and the MLC (Mouvement pour la Libération du Congo, Movement for the Liberation of Congo) in an alliance, the FLC, after attempts from Uganda to unify the rebel groups it supported in the DR Congo. The FLC was led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, the MLC leader. However, the alliance proved short-lived, and fighting broke out between RCD–ML on one side and RCD–N and MLC on the other.
RCD-N has been involved in the non-state category, and together with MLC and UPC in the one-sided category, of UCDP organised violence
