SUMMARY

RCD - Laurent Nkunda faction has its origins as a battalion of the rebel National Army of Congo (Armée Nationale Congolaise, ANC), the military branch of RCD–Goma (The Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie–Goma, Congolese Rally for Democracy–Goma).

The group emerged after the formation of a restructured national army following the end of the 1998-2001 conflict. The new national army, FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo), was stipulated in the December 2002 Global Agreement and was envisaged to integrate the former government and rebel armies. However, due to distrust among the former warring parties, the former military structures were largely maintained under the umbrella of the FARDC. Meanwhile, the implementation process had also strengthened divisions within RCD–Goma between those that accepted the peace agreement and those that felt their power positions were threatened by the peace process. Notably, many RCD–Goma officials in the Kivus saw their interests threatened by the new order. Such perceptions were further fueled by Rwanda, which saw continued RCD–Goma control in the Kivus as a way to maintain an influence in the region.

In 2004, following instability in South Kivu and Rwandan threats of renewed intervention in eastern DR Congo, the transitional government deployed a large number of troops in North Kivu, advancing towards the RCD–Goma stronghold in Goma. In this context, local ex-ANC troops loyal to the governor of North Kivu, Eugene Serufuli, mutinied and formed the RCD - Laurent Nkunda faction. Serufuli was a Hutu of the Banyarwanda minority, and had earlier been involved in the MAGRIVI Hutu organisation as well as in RCD–Goma. Serufuli and the RCD - Mutineer faction distanced themselves from the main RCD–Goma which remained devoted to the peace process.In Sud Kivu the mutineers gathered in the Forces of Mutebutsi and in Nord Kivu in the RCD - Laurent Nkunda.

In 2005, Laurent Nkunda formed CNDP (Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple, National Congress for the Defence of the People) and launched a new phase in the conflict against the government of DR Congo.

RCD - Laurent Nkunda faction has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organised violence.