SUMMARY
FPIC (Force patriotique et intégrationniste du Congo), also known as Chini Ya Kilima, was a predominantly Bira armed group active in Irumu territory, Ituri Province, DR Congo (Zaire). The group was based in the Chini ya Kilima groupement and became one of the most active armed groups in Irumu territory from 2020 onward. After internal leadership disputes in late 2022 and 2023, the dominant faction changed its name to FPIC Chambre noire Sanduku.
FPIC’s objectives were linked to Bira claims over land, local political representation, and armed mobilization against rival communities and state authorities in Irumu. The group sought to reclaim land that it claimed had been occupied by Hema communities in Irumu territory. It also put forward local political demands, including grievances that Bira representatives had been omitted from the Ituri provincial government led by Jean Bamanisa Saïdi. FPIC therefore combined communal self-defense rhetoric, land claims, and local political grievances.
FPIC operated mainly in Irumu territory, particularly in and around Chini ya Kilima groupement and areas close to Bunia. Its activities affected Irumu town, Marabo, Nyakunde, Mwanga, and localities along axes such as Mwenga-Nkunda-Walu. From 2020, FPIC carried out attacks against Democratic Republic of the Congo security forces and civilians, especially non-Bira civilians and in particular Bahema, in the vicinity of Bunia. In early 2023, the dominant faction under Tondabo Erabo, also known as General Herode, was headquartered in Nyakunde.
FPIC was composed mainly of Bira combatants, particularly young men from local communities in Irumu. The group also included women and children. Bira civilians who did not support FPIC risked being treated as traitors and targeted for retaliation. The group’s recruitment and support networks were linked to local Bira grievances, but its violence also affected Bira civilians who opposed or criticized the movement.
The structure of FPIC remained unclear. Several sources referred to Radjabho Tebabho Soborabo, also spelled Radjabho Tababho Soborabo, a former 2018 presidential candidate and member of the political party Congolais unis pour le changement (CUC), as a founder of the group. The group had local military commanders and factions but did not appear to have a stable or centralized command structure. Its internal organization became increasingly fragmented after leadership disputes in 2022 and 2023.
FPIC’s military capacity depended on local recruitment, small arms, attacks on Congolese security forces, and possible cooperation with other Ituri armed groups. The group obtained part of its weaponry during attacks on FARDC and PNC positions. The group mainly attacked non-Bira civilians, especially Hema civilians, but also carried out retaliation against Bira civilians who criticized its activities.
FPIC experienced a major leadership dispute in late 2022 and early 2023. The conflict began when the group was to replace General Songambele Selyabo, also referred to as General Somgabele Malali, with Tondabo Erabo, also known as General Herode. Armed confrontations followed between supporters of the rival leaders. The majority of the group reportedly followed Herode, who established his headquarters in Nyakunde and renamed the movement Sanduku Chambre Noire, or FPIC Chambre noire Sanduku.
FPIC was allegedly allied or connected to several other armed groups in Ituri. Sources reported possible cooperation with FRPI dissidents, ALC, CODECO-BTD, and other CODECO-linked actors. UN investigators received conflicting information about an alleged coalition between FPIC, FRPI dissidents, ALC/CODECO, and Bon Temple, and could not confirm the precise nature of such cooperation. These alleged ties should therefore be treated cautiously.
