SUMMARY
Raïa Mutomboki – Makombo, was a militia that was first mentioned in 2013. The group was part of the southern and north-eastern axises of Raïa Mutomboki. The group has the same roots as other Raïa Mutomboki groups. The first group was founded in 2005 in Wakabango village, Shabunda Territory of the South Kivu Province as a self-defense militia. The trigger to form a militia was a massacre of 12 civilians by the FDLR in March 2005 in the jungle village of Kyoka, in Wakabango I southern Shabunda. The group consisted of local Rega youths and former Mayi Mayi who had been part of Padiri's group. From 2005-2008 the group remained in the village and was fairly unnoticed even though it was known locally to have very strong dawa. When Raïa Mutomboki succeeded in ousting FDLR from their territory the movement spread to neighboring areas affected by FDLR violence. Youths from other villages adopted the name and inherited the dawa.
In 2008 Raïa Mutomboki was part of the Goma Conference. The conference was supposed to launch an inclusive peace process, embracing 22 different armed groups, and lead to the dismantling of the different militias in the Kivus. The conference lead to a peace deal signed by among others Raïa Mutomboki, but it did not lead to peace.
In January 2010 a new massacre by the FDLR mobilized one of Raïa Mutomboki’s offshoots. The FDLR killed 36 people in Nduma along the edges of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in northern Shabunda. The Congolese army (FARDC) did not help the angry villagers and in a meeting in the town hall in response to the security problems in the area in July 2011, the South Kivu governor reportedly said: “Liberate yourselves”. In response the Raïa Mutomboki movement grew and spread across the Kivu region encompassing more ethnic communities. In early 2013, Raia Mutomboki included four different off-shoots with different characteristics: in southern Shabunda, northern Shabunda/Bunyakiri/southern Walikale, north-eastern Shabunda, and south-eastern Walikale/southern Masisi. The movement is known to have a strong support from the local population. Since the group is very open and members can come and go as they please it is hard to say anything about numbers. The Raïa Mutomboki milita was mobilized in a village in response to a threat and when the threat was gone a mobilized militia was not necessary any longer and therefore abandoned. The Raïa Mutomboki of Makombo fought other Raïa Mutomboki factions over mining concessions, in 2016 Makombo agreed to surrender if he was guaranteed safety by FARDC. Raïa Mutomboki- Makombo had clashed with FARDC regularly as part of their operations to root out all negative forces.
Raïa Mutomboki was first formed by Jean Musumbu from the BaTali clan of Rega community. Musumbu was the first to make the dawa and is still seen as the spiritual godfather of all Raïa. The group is often well connected with the local leadership in the villages were they form. The Raïa Mutomboki – Makombo was led by Makombo.
Raïa Mutomboki - Makombo has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.
