SUMMARY
Ngumino, also spelled Gumino and also known as the Mouvement populaire pour le changement du Congo (MPCC, Popular Movement for Changing the Congo), was a predominantly Banyamulenge armed group active in the Hauts Plateaux of Uvira and Fizi territories in South Kivu, DR Congo (Zaire). The name Ngumino was derived from guma ino, meaning “stay here” in Kinyamulenge. The name expressed the group’s claim that the Banyamulenge belonged in the area and should not be expelled from the country.
Ngumino emerged from Banyamulenge armed mobilization in the Hauts Plateaux. Its origins were linked to a faction within the FRF that had opposed the leadership of Patrick Masunzu and emphasized the protection of Banyamulenge territory. In 2007, this faction transformed into a politico-military movement that was locally known as Gumino. When the FRF ended its armed struggle and its military wing was integrated into the DR Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in 2011, Ngumino remained active in the region. The group continued to present itself as a force protecting the Banyamulenge population.
Ngumino’s objectives centered on protecting Banyamulenge communities, defending their access to land and cattle-grazing areas, and preventing their displacement from the Hauts Plateaux. The group’s political rhetoric was shaped by long-standing fears among Banyamulenge leaders and civilians that their citizenship, land rights, and physical security in DR Congo (Zaire) were under threat. Ngumino also became involved in local conflicts over cattle herding, land, customary authority, and relations between Banyamulenge and neighboring communities.
The group operated mainly in the Hauts Plateaux of Uvira and Fizi territories in South Kivu. Its principal base was in Kajembwe, in Uvira territory. Ngumino also operated in areas around Minembwe and in the hills of northern Fizi. These areas were characterized by weak state presence, competition over land and grazing routes, and the presence of several local and foreign armed groups.
Ngumino was predominantly composed of Banyamulenge fighters, including former members of the FRF, former FARDC personnel, and local Banyamulenge armed mobilizations. The group had not been a unified and permanent organization. Rather, Ngumino functioned as an umbrella term for successive Banyamulenge armed networks in the Hauts Plateaux. Its leadership, composition, and local alliances changed over time.
The group maintained a military structure centered on local commanders and former FRF officers. It fought mainly against various Mayi Mayi groups in the Hauts Plateaux, including militias associated with Yakutumba and other armed groups hostile to Banyamulenge communities. Its operations included ambushes, attacks on villages and military positions, and fighting over control of grazing areas, roads, and local population centers. Reliable information on Ngumino’s troop strength was not available.
The original Ngumino movement was led by Colonel Richard Tawimbi. Tawimbi had been part of AFDL in 1996 before falling out with Rwandan forces. He later joined the FRF and split from the group when its military wing was integrated into the FARDC in 2011. Tawimbi traveled to Kinshasa in August 2012 to participate in negotiations with the government. He subsequently remained in Kinshasa, and the extent of his continued leadership over Ngumino became unclear. Tawimbi was arrested in January 2019. After Tawimbi moved to Kinshasa, Ngumino was led by Nyamusharaba Shaka and Colonel André Semahurungure Muhasha. Shaka had reportedly become a leading commander in August 2012. Semahurungure was killed in September 2019. By April 2022, Colonel Olivier Murindangabo represented Ngumino at consultations between armed groups and the Congolese government in Nairobi.
Ngumino maintained shifting and ambivalent relations with the Congolese army, Burundian armed opposition groups, and other Banyamulenge armed networks. The group had at times collaborated with FARDC units, but it also fought against FARDC forces. It reportedly maintained contacts with Burundian armed opposition groups that had established bases in South Kivu. Sources also reported that the Burundian military had developed links with Nyamusharaba Shaka and Ngumino from 2018 onward. The nature, extent, and continuity of this support remained difficult to establish.
