SUMMARY

The Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) has a long history of ethnic tensions and violent clashes between the Hema and Lendu communities, primarily over land and resource disputes. Significant outbreaks occurred in 1972, 1985, and notably from 1999 to 2003, during which time the conflicts in Ituri led to widespread atrocities. After a period of relative calm, violence reignited in December 2017 in Djugu Territory. The immediate trigger was the death of Father Florent Dhunji, a Lendu priest, under suspicious circumstances, leading to accusations against the Hema and a resurgence of hate speech. Subsequent incidents, including altercations between youths of both communities, escalated tensions and led to retaliatory attacks. The renewed violence was characterized by systematic attacks by Lendu militias against Hema civilians. URDPC, a Lendu militia, emerged as a the most significant actor, killing civilians. URDPC splintered into numerous factions after their leader Justin Ngudjolo was killed in March 2020. Colloquially, all Lendu militias in the Ituri area was known as CODECO. ALC was one of these factions.

ALC, like other CODECO factions, presented itself as defending the Lendu people and resisting both government authority and rival communities. In some instances ALC has accused the victims of witchcraft or being collaborators with perceived enemies.

ALC fighters engaged in brutal tactics. Attacks typically involved massacres, executions, and arson, and were often carried out with bladed weapons and firearms. Civilians were killed in their homes, fields, or while traveling. In one case, a pregnant woman was killed in Gotchukpa, while in Kalanda and Jili, women were accused of witchcraft before being executed. Entire villages were burned, including homes in Kambe, Dzodzo, and Jisada. Livestock theft and looting were common. In many cases, victims were attacked without warning, herders were ambushed in fields near Kaseni and Zambuti, and villagers were killed during night raids. A village chief in Palestine and another in Saikpa were executed, further indicating a strategy of targeting local authority figures.

The group’s operations remained localized, concentrated along the Bunia–Kasenyi road and across multiple villages in Djugu and Irumu territories.

ALC first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2022, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached on 7 June after 15 civilians were killed and the assailants looted money, food supplies and other property in the villages of Songa and Rhoo in Djugu territory. The attack came two days after ALC had signed an engagement act for a definitive cessation of hostilities.