SUMMARY
FNI (Front Nationalist et Integrationist, Front for National Integration) was a coalition of different Lendu ethnic militias fighting in the Djugu territory of the Ituri province of DR Congo (Zaire). The militia was established in November 2002 by Lendu intellectuals and traditional chiefs in an attempt to gather and organize Lendu armed groups opposing the rising threat of the ethnic Hema UPC militia (Union des Patriotes Congolais, Union of Congolese Patriots). The Lendu agriculturalists had been fighting the Hema pastoralists since 1999 (see actor description for Lendu for more information). The FNI consisted predominantly of Lendu from the north of Ituri. In November 2002 the Ngiti (Southern Lendu) umbrella party FRPI (Patriotic Force of Resistance in Ituri - the Forces de resistance patriotiques en Ituri) was launched. FRPI was at times seen as the military arm of FNI and the two groups fought together against UPC. The same month FNI was formed as an idea of integrating all (northern) Lendu militias under the same politico-military movement.
In December 2002, FNI together with two other ethnically-based political parties, formed FIPI (Front for Integration and Peace in Ituri, Front pour lintégration et la paix en Ituri). The alliance was formed in order to get Ugandan support to fight UPC. The FIPI coalition collapsed after the UPC was forced from Bunia in March 2003. On 18 March 2003 FNI was part of a ceasefire agreement establishing the Ituri Peace Commission. At that time FNI and FRPI talked about creating a joint military high command for the groups. In 2004 a conflict over leadership stopped the attempt and the FNI and FRPI went separate ways. On 14 May 2004 new negotiations between the different Ituri groups ended in the signing of an acte d’engagement which stipulated the cessation of hostilities and disarmament and community reinsertion. Subsequently FNI officially transformed itself into a national Congolese party in August 2005.
In June 2005 a new coalition MRC (Mouvement révolutionnaire congolais, Revolutionary Movement of Congo) was founded that incorporated former members of some Ituri and Nord Kivu militias not willing to disarm. The coalition included militias representing all Ituri ethnic groups. After 2005 FNI acted both as part of the MRC and independently. The main part of FNI, that remained separate from MRC, was led by Peter Karim.
FNI has been supported by the Ugandan and the Congolese governments as well as the RCD-K-ML. The actors have supplied FNI with weapons and provided training. Uganda has also carried out joint military operations with the FNI.
FNI was based in the Ituri province and had its stronghold around the gold deposits of Mongbwalu. FNI was headquartered in Djugu with bases in Rethy and Kpandroma towns. In 2004, at its height, the group consisted of approximately 27 000 troops. Since the group was an alliance between different Lendu militias the numbers were fluid and other estimates ranged between 3000 and 6000 soldiers. When signing an agreement to disarm in 2006, the group was estimated to consist of only 1300 troops and afterwards they were a small force of a few hundreds.
On 29 November 2006, the government of DR Congo signed an agreement with some Ituri rebel groups including FNI. The agreement was followed by continuing violence but on 7 April 2007 the FNI leader Karim surrendered to the DR Congo government in at Kpandroma. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Congolese Army. On 22 August 2007 FNI renewed their agreement to disarm, demobilize and try to reintegrate.
The political leader and instigator of the organization was Floribert Ndjabu Njabu. He was formally elected President of the new movement on 23 December 2002 one day before attending peace negotiations with the Hema counterpart UPC in Arua. Njabu was arrested early March 2005 by Congolese authorities following the killing of 9 Bangladeshi peacekeepers. The group was then led by Peter Udaga, alias Karim. After Karim surrendered in 2007 Major Eric Ngadjole commanded the remaining group. Joseph Désiré Tchura became the chairman of the group after Ngadjole was killed in clashes with the government at the end of 2007. Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui was tried and acquitted for crimes committed by the FNI by International Criminal Court in The Hague. ICC could not prove that Ngudjolo was the highest ranking commander of the FNI at the time of the crimes.
FNI has been involved in the non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
FAPC (Forces armées du peuple Congolais, Peoples Armed Forces of Congo) was an armed group fighting in the Ituri province of DR Congo. The group was also known as the FAPC/UCPD (Union des congolais pour la démocratie-Forces armées du people Congolais, Union of Congolese for Democracy-Peoples Armed Forces of Congo).
FAPC was established at the end of February 2003 as its leader Jérôme Kakwavu Bukande broke away from UPC (Union des Patriotes Congolais, Union of Congolese Patriots). Commandant Jérôme had earlier been fighting for the RCD-ML (Rassemblement Congolaises pour la démocratie-Mouvement de liberation, Congolese Democratic Rally-Liberation Movement). FAPC was created with direct Ugandan support. Both RCD-ML and UPC had previously had support from Uganda. FAPC is known for its many changing alliances with other militia including the FNI, PUSIC, RCD-ML, RCD-N and UPC.
FAPC is an Ituri armed group of mixed ethnicity which comprised mainly Alur and Lugbara from northern areas of Ituri but also Lendu and Hema elements. Its leader Jérôme is reportedly a Banyarwanda from North Kivu. FAPC's strength was thought to be around 4000 fighters.
The group was mainly based in Aru region were it is headquartered, Mahagi region and controlled a significant part of the Ugandan border. FAPC was created with direct Ugandan support.
In the course of 2005 FAPC was completely disbanded through the Ituri disarmament and community reinsertion process. Jérôme Kakwavu was integrated into the new Congolese army, the FARDC, as a general in December 2004. FAPC was the first Ituri group to start voluntary disarmament and its forces began surrendering their weapons on 6 March 2005 in Aru, with the aim of integrating into the national army.
FAPC has been involved in the non-state and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
