SUMMARY

The conflict between RCD(Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie, Congolese Rally for Democracy), commonly known as RCD-Goma, and CNDD-FDD (Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie-Forces pour la défense pour la démocratie, National Council for the Defence of Democracy-Forces for the Defence of Democracy) and Mayi Mayi militias should be seen as part the DR. Congo (Zaire) war fought during the time period 1998-2003, where RCD-Goma has been one of the main rebel groups fighting the government and Mayi Mayi local defense groups and the Burundian Hutu rebel group CNDD-FDD supported by the government to fight the insurgency.

Rwanda’s and Burundi’s role in the region is central for the understanding of the conflict between CNDD-FDD, Mayi Mayi and RCD. Rwanda and Banyamulenge (Congolese Tutsis) were important for President Kabila's victory over ex-President Mobutu in 1997. Burundi had then sided with Rwanda and Kabila but been preoccupied with fighting its own rebel groups the CNDD and Palipehutu on Congolese soil. However during the 1997-1998 interlude, when President Kabila tried to build a national power base, relations with Rwanda deteriorated. At the same time the situation in the Kivus was sliding into deeper and deeper ethnic tensions. As President Kabila moved away from his Rwandese allies, he almost automatically found himself in alliance both with the local autochthonous militias which were now springing up under the name of Mayi Mayi, as well as with the different Hutu militias. By late 1998, after a new regional war had started, the Mayi Mayi progressively turned from a folkloric phenomenon into a major political one central in the fight against the foreign invader. At the same time they built alliances with the different Hutu militias residing in the area, one of them being the CNDD-FDD. RCD, meanwhile, claimed they were fighting in the Kivu regions to cleanse the area of negative forces including the CNDD-FDD and the Mayi Mayi militia.

In different periods of the conflict the alliance formed by different pro-Kabila government groups fought either together against RCD and Rwandan forces or separately. In the Spring of 2000 a number of attacks were conducted by the CNDD-FDD, Mayi Mayi coalition on RCD controlled towns. In April the CNDD-FDD, Mayi Mayi rebels came down from the mountains and attacked Lemera (or Remera) at nightfall, RCD failed to fight off the attack. They held the town for two days after being repelled again. In May they attacked an RCD position near Katogota and an ambush against the RCD forces was reported in the Sud Kivu Province. All violence in this dyad was reported from the Sud-Kivu Province to the DR. Congo (Zaire).

The non-state conflict between CNDD-FDD, Mayi Mayi and RCD and is first included in UCDP data in 2000. By April that year clashes between the two groups had resulted in at least 25 battle-related deaths.