SUMMARY

The non-state conflict between URDPC and Zaire self-defense group was rooted in long-standing ethnic tensions between the Lendu and Hema communities in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire). Ituri, located in the north-eastern part of the country, has historically been a battleground between these groups, with violence linked to disputes over land, political power and access to natural resources. Major outbreaks of violence occurred in 1973, 1990 and 1997 and 1999-2003. A renewed wave of violence began in 2017 in Djugu territory of Ituri. During this period URDPC emerged as the main Lendu militia perpetrating attacks against Hema civilians. In response, members of the Hema community set up a loosely defined self-defense militia called the Zaire self-defense group to counter the Lendu attacks.

Leaders and members of URDPC have consistently justified their attacks as defensive actions aimed at protecting the Lendu population from marginalization and aggression by Hema communities, often framing their violence as necessary to restore land and community rights. Similarly, members of the Zaire self-defense group have declared that their violence is retaliatory and protective, aimed at defending Hema civilians from repeated attacks by Lendu militias including URDPC.

Initially, the URDPC and the Zaire self-defense group primarily engaged in clashes within local villages, with the Zaire self-defense group defending their communities and retaliating against URDPC attacks on Hema villages. This led to a cycle of tit-for-tat violence, where both sides continued to fight whenever one targeted the other’s community. The tactics employed in this dyadic conflict have been brutally violent and have disproportionately targeted civilians. Both sides have been implicated in massacres, village raids, executions, and arson attacks. URDPC has frequently attacked displacement camps and mining areas, often killing civilians, including women and children. Zaire militias have also carried out retaliatory massacres against Lendu populations. Mass killings, often executed with machetes or firearms, are common, and entire villages have been burned. By 2022, the Zaire self-defense group had become more organized, gaining control over gold mining areas to the north, northwest, and east of Mongbwalu, as well as several mines within the Mongbwalu commune. Meanwhile, the URDPC controlled mining areas to the west, southwest, south, and southeast of Mongbwalu. URDPC and the Zaire self-defense group continued to fight over, and benefit from, gold exploitation and gold trade for example by imposing taxes on goods and civilians. Clashes continued into 2025, during which elements of the Zaire self-defense group reportedly fragmented and partially integrated into other Hema militias, including the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP).

Efforts to resolve the conflict have had limited success. Several peace initiatives since 2022 have included URDPC but not the Zaire self-defense group which has remained outside most formal peace processes. In 2022, peace talks were organized under the auspices of the East African Community (EAC) in Nairobi, Kenya. These negotiations included a wide range of Congolese armed groups, including URDPC, Zaire self-defense group remained outside of the process. In March 2023, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo established a Mediation Advisory Group in Ituri province to facilitate dialogue between armed actors, traditional leaders, armed actors, and civil society. In June 2023, several Ituri-based militias, including URDPC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Aru, committing to a ceasefire, provision of safe passage for civilians and humanitarian goods, the return of displaced persons, and restrictions on the movement of armed fighters. However, the absence of Zaire self-defense group undermined the agreement. In January 2024, attempts were made to broaden the scope of peace efforts. Representatives from Zaire self-defense group were reportedly approached for preliminary dialogue, though no formal commitment was secured. On 19 April 2024, another peace agreement was signed in Ituri by a coalition of armed groups, including URDPC, reaffirming earlier commitments to end hostilities and cooperate with disarmament and reintegration programs. Once again, the Zaire self-defense group did not sign, citing concerns about bias in the mediation process and lack of guarantees for Hema community security. In June 2025, Zaire participated in peace dialogue in Aru but refused to sign the resulting agreement (Aru II), reportedly in protest following a massacre at a displacement site in Djugu that killed civilians, including children.

The non-state conflict between URDPC and Zaire self-defense group is first included in UCDP data in 2022. On 20-21 December 2022 violent clashes between the two groups in in Tali-Tali, Nzinzi, Kingili and Aungba in the Mahagi territory, resulted in over 25 deaths