SUMMARY

The one-sided violence committed by the temporary coalition between the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) and local Mayi-Mayi militias occurred in the context of the First Congo War, which broke out in 1996. The conflict was deeply rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when Hutu refugees, among them génocidaires, fled to eastern Zaire (now DR Congo), destabilizing the region and prompting Rwanda and its allies to support a rebellion against President Mobutu. The AFDL, backed by Rwanda and Uganda and Angola, launched a military campaign to overthrow Mobutu’s regime, and in this campaign, they coordinated with local Mayi-Mayi groups in operations that frequently targeted Hutu civilians, often under the justification of hunting down ex-FAR and Interahamwe fighters. These attacks unfolded during a broader campaign of violence that included reprisal killings, ethnic targeting, and large-scale massacres in refugee-populated zones.

AFDL, Mayi-Mayi attacked civilians in reprisal for massacres committed by Hutu refugees and Hutu armed groups. Mayi-Mayi had been at war with Hutu groups for over three years. These groups had been supported by the exFAR/Interahamwe after 1994. AFDL, who was supported by genocide survivors, also saw the Hutu refugees as collaborators and/or family of the génocidaires.

The tactics used in this temporary coalition’s operations centered overwhelmingly on massacres and summary executions. Between 19 and 21 November 1996, the coalition carried out two major attacks. On 19 November, the massacre in Ngungu claimed roughly 1500 lives, most of whom were unarmed civilians. Two days later, on 21 November, the AFDL and Mayi-Mayi again cooperated in a massive assault on Nyamitaba, a predominantly Hutu community in the Bashali area of Masisi territory.

These attacks occurred in different localities within the Masisi territory of North Kivu province, a region that experienced some of the most intense violence of the 1996–1997 conflict.