SUMMARY
The AFP-Gutabara also known as Twigwaneho Makanika was a Banyamulenge dominated armed group in the Hauts-Plateaux region in Sud Kivu Province of DR Congo (Zaire). The group emerged in early 2020 under the leadership of Colonel Michel Rukunda, commonly known by his nom de guerre, Makanika, after his defection from the Congolese national army (FARDC).
The group was founded during a period of ethnic conflict and insecurity in the the South Kivu highlands. Makanika, a Banyamulenge officer formerly associated with the Républicains Fédéralistes (FRF) rebel group—which had been integrated into the national army in 2011—broke away from the FARDC to form AFP-Gutabara. His stated purpose was to protect the Banyamulenge community, a Tutsi-speaking ethnic minority that has historically faced marginalization, discrimination, and attacks from other armed factions in the region.
Gutabara translates roughly as "to protect", and the group viewed itself as a self-defense force. It was created in reaction to mounting violence from other Congolese armed groups, particularly those aligned with the CNPSC (Coalition Nationale du Peuple pour la Souveraineté du Congo), a powerful coalition of Mai-Mai militias that oppose Banyamulenge armed actors and accuse them of being foreign-backed.
AFP-Gutabara was headquartered in Nyamara, an area in the Hauts-Plateaux. The group operated primarily in the highland zones, where most of the Banyamulenge population is concentrated. These regions are mountainous and difficult to access.
The group maintained a structured command-and-control hierarchy, reflecting its leadership’s military background. AFP-Gutabara operated not in isolation but as part of a wider network of Banyamulenge self-defense groups. It closely allied with other militias, notably Ngumino and Twighaneo. The group aimed to organize the Twighaneo self-defense group under its organisation. Together, these groups coordinated military operations against perceived threats from CNPSC-affiliated Mai-Mai groups and sometimes clashed with FARDC units accused of favoring their adversaries. AFP-Gutabara was embroiled in complex regional geopolitics. The group was accused of receiving external support from both Rwanda and from the Rwandan opposition RNC. These allegations, fueled tensions and suspicions among local communities and neighboring countries, contributing to the volatility of the area.
AFP-Gutabara joined AFC on 15 December 2023. After this date, AFP-Gutabara ceased to exist as a separate actor in the UCDP data. Michel Rukunda died on 19 February 2025 in a drone strike conducted by the Congolese army.
