SUMMARY
The Lendu ethnic group primarily resides in the Ituri district, located in the Orientale Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Traditionally they were agriculturalists and considered as second-class citizens under the Belgian colonial regime. There are two subgroups of Lendu, those from the northern areas Bale Lendu and the Ngiti from the south. The group speaks, a Sudanic language, kilendu, which is spoken as first language by Lendu, Hema-North (Gegere), Alur, and Okebu. The Lendu approximately numbers 700 000. Lendu is the majority ethnic group in the collectivité of Walendu Bindi in Irumu teriritory and in Walendu Djatsi, Walendu Tatsi, and Walendu Pitsi in the Djugu territory as well as Walendu Watsi in Mahagi territory.
In 1998 a rivalry between the two ethnic groups Lendu and Hema escalated into inter-communal violence. The 1998 conflict was sparked as Hema concessionaires tried to take land used by the Lendu. Some Lendu traditional authorities created self-defence units and initiated a campaign attacking Hema villages. The level of organisation of the Lendu militias has always been fragmented. Lendu more gathered in small self-defence units often being based in a collectivité or a village.
In 1993 the Lendu had formed a cultural association LORI (Liberation of the Oppressed Race of Ituri) In the kilendu language, "lori" means "the place where things are settled". In the beginning of the conflict LORI was accused of planning the resistance but leaders for the organisations claimed they took no part in it. In November 2002 however LORI called on "all Lendu to resist aggression and all forms of domination that have been a part of Lendu history." Around the same time the largest Lendu militias FNI (Front Nationalist et Integrationist, Front for National Integration) and FRPI were formed. These groups however never managed to gather all Lendu militias under their command.
No leader sticks out as the main leader of the Lendu militias. Since these groups formed spontaneous often as a response to an imminent Hema attack anyone that showed skills on the battle-field could become commanders over their self-defence militia. In Djugu important commanders in the early stages of the Hema-Lendu violence were Goda Sukpa, ‘Maître Kiza’, Mathieu Ngudjolo and Mateso ‘Kung Fu’ Nyinga in Mongbwalu. In Irumu Bernard Kakado, Colonel Kandro,
Lendu has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
