SUMMARY
Bana Mura was the collective name for several local militias created between March and April 2017 in Kamonia territory, Kasaï Province, DR Congo. The militias were composed predominantly of Chokwe and Pende fighters, although Tetela members also participated. Bana Mura supported President Joseph Kabila and was formed in the context of the expansion of the Kamuina Nsapu insurgency from Kasaï Central into the wider Kasaï region. The name Bana Mura was associated with Mura, a training center used by the Congolese Republican Guard in Katanga and a nickname reportedly used for a Republican Guard division. The name reflected the militias’ perceived connection to the state security apparatus and to the Kabila government. Bana Mura did not constitute a single centralized armed organization. It consisted of several locally organized militias with separate leaders and no common chain of command, although their use of similar weapons, their coordination during attacks, and their connections with local officials indicated links between them.
Bana Mura was formed as a response to attacks by the Kamuina Nsapu militia. Kamuina Nsapu had launched an armed struggle against the Kabila government after the central authorities had refused to recognize Jean-Pierre Mpandi as Kamuina Nsapu, the traditional chief of the Bajila Kasanga groupement. As the conflict spread from Kasaï Central Province into Kasaï Province, local Chokwe, Pende, and Tetela actors mobilized Bana Mura militias in Kamonia territory.
The emergence of Bana Mura was also linked to ethnic and political tensions in the Kasaï region. Kasaï had been an important stronghold of opposition to President Kabila. Etienne Tshisekedi, a prominent opposition leader who died on 1 February 2017, had originated from Kasaï Central Province and was ethnically Baluba. In 2015, the Congolese government divided the country’s 11 provinces into 26 provinces. Critics viewed this administrative reform as an effort to weaken political opponents. In Kasaï, several local administrative positions were reportedly assigned to Chokwe officials, contributing to perceptions that local Chokwe political leaders were aligned with the Kabila government in a predominantly anti-Kabila region.
The Bana Mura militias initially targeted the Kamuina Nsapu. Their activities later expanded to attacks against Baluba and Lulua civilians, who were accused of supporting Kamuina Nsapu. Bana Mura also targeted other populations suspected of supporting Kamuina Nsapu, including Bindi civilians. During attacks on villages, Bana Mura fighters reportedly put black shoe polish or ash on their faces, white powder around their eyes, and white mosquito-net bands on their heads.
Bana Mura operated mainly in Kamonia territory, including Kamonia town and surrounding villages in Kasaï Province. The militias were estimated to have included between 300 and 500 fighters. They were armed mainly with hunting rifles, machetes, and sticks. Their military capacity was strengthened by reported access to weapons, support from local state officials, and cooperation with Congolese security forces.
The different Bana Mura militias were led by local traditional leaders and commanders. Known leaders included Chief Kayumba Muyej, Roger Mpumbu, David Pitshindambi, Mwamba Bazaimi, Kadeza, Kashito Shakiro, Mombo Bozi, and Colonel Polydor Omokoko in Kamonia town. Local leaders were reportedly supported by local security and defense officials.
Bana Mura appeared to have cooperated with state agents from its formation. Local security forces and traditional officials reportedly organized and armed Chokwe, Pende, and Tetela fighters to conduct attacks against the Kamuina Nsapu militia and civilian populations accused of supporting it. A Police nationale congolaise official based in Kamonia town allegedly encouraged the organization of Bana Mura, held meetings with militia members, and distributed weapons. Officials from the Direction générale de migration and the Agence nationale de renseignements were also reportedly involved.
FARDC soldiers and local officials were reportedly seen accompanying and leading Bana Mura militias during attacks on villages. Provincial politicians and members of parliament were also alleged to have played a role in instigating violence. The reported involvement of security agents and political officials linked local ethnic violence in Kamonia territory to the wider political crisis surrounding the Kabila government. Bana Mura militias largely ceased to operate as the Kamuina Nsapu rebellion declined and ended. The end of the rebellion removed the immediate conflict context that had led to their formation and mobilization.
