SUMMARY
The non-state conflict between the APCLS, FDLR, Nyatura Love, on one side, and the coalition Mayi Mayi Mazembe and NDC-R on the other, erupted in July 2016 in the Rutshuru territory of the Nord Kivu Province in DR Congo (Zaire). This confrontation occurred in the broader context of ethnic conflict and territorial rivalry among Hutu](/#actor/915) and Hunde, Nande communities in the mineral-rich region of eastern Congo. The July 2016 violence was precipitated by heightened intercommunal tensions and armed group competition for control of local strongholds and trade routes.
The the fighting stemmed from long-standing ethnic antagonisms and control over Kikuku, a strategically located village. The Mayi Mayi Mazembe and NDC-R coalition, representing mostly Nande and allied interests, accused the APCLS, FDLR, Nyatura Love of occupying territory and threatening their communities. Conversely, APCLS, FDLR, Nyatura Love viewed the offensive as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing by their rivals.
The violence was marked by intense, close-range battles using small arms and machetes, as well as organized militia offensives. The most severe incident occurred on 7 July 2016, when Mayi-Mayi Mazembe and NDC-R launched a coordinated assault on Kikuku village. The brutality of the assault, as well as its scale, made it one of the deadliest militia confrontations in the region during that period. Following the attack, a brief but intense wave of displacement ensued, with residents fleeing Kikuku and surrounding villages such as Bwalanda, Mine, and Nyanzale. The fighting subsided after 9 July 2016 with the arrival of reinforcements from the Congolese army (FARDC), deployed from the Rumangabo military camp. Their presence restored a measure of security and prompted many displaced civilians to begin returning to Kikuku.
The non-state conflict between APCLS, FDLR, Nyatura Love and Mayi Mayi Mazembe, NDC-R is first included in UCDP data in 2016. On 7 July 2016, Mayi Mayi Mazembe, NDC-R attacked Kikuku village which resulted in over 70 battle-related deaths.
