SUMMARY
The Mobondo, militia affiliated with the Yaka community, have been implicated in repeated acts of one-sided violence against civilians in western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The violence began in Kwamouth territory, in Mai-Ndombe province and later spread to the provinces of Kwango, Kwilu, Kinshasa, and Kongo Central. It has primarily targeted members of the Teke ethnic group and occurred in the context of the Teke-Yaka conflict, an intercommunal conflict rooted in land disputes.
The conflict between the Teke and Yaka ethnic groups began in June 2022 on the Bateke plateau (“Plateau of the Teke people”), which spans several provinces in the western parts of the DRC. Tensions emerged when Teke chiefs increased the customary tax imposed on non-native communities, primarily the Yaka, who lease farmland in the area. The conflict escalated after the brother of a Teke chief killed a non-native farmer during a Yaka-led protest. In response, the Yaka group set fire to houses and claimed control over abandoned villages. The violence intensified and spread as more non-Teke farmers organized and armed themselves to attack Teke villages, particularly along the national road RN17. Both sides carried out attacks, and incidents of violence became increasingly frequent. Attacks carried out by Teke groups prompted retaliatory violence from Yaka communities, who mobilized around the self-proclaimed traditional king (or Kiamvu) of the Yaka, Odon Kimona. He had been accused of being one of the main instigators of the Teke-Yaka conflict. According to some sources, Kiamvu Odon sought to take control of Teke land across the Bateke Plateau by settling Yaka communities in these areas. He is also reported to have encouraged the participation of fighters from allied communities such as the Suku, Mbala, Ndinga, Songe, and Ngonge people.
In 2022, the Mobondo group began organizing around the belief that the ‘mobondo’ fetishes allegedly created by Kiamvu Odon and his ally, the Suku king, could protect fighters from enemy firearms and give them powers of invincibility. A year later, the Mobondo became increasingly organized, carrying out military-style attacks on both civilians and government security forces. The group expanded its area of operation and its number of fighters. In June 2023, the Mobondo signaled interest in dialogue with authorities in Kinshasa and a decision was made to establish a commission to facilitate dialogue between the provincial government and Mobondo representatives. By August 2023, the Mobondo were reported to control significant portions of Kwamouth and Bandundu territory, and regularly attacked communities in the Bagata, Kenge, Kimvula, Maluku, and Popokabaka territories. Although the Teke and Yaka communities reached a customary peace agreement in mid-2024, the Mobondo continued their operations, even killing five civilians within hours of the agreement. Violence subsided for a period in early 2024, but resurfaced again a few months later.
Mobondo fighters claimed that the Teke have mismanaged the land and sold property that belongs to the Yaka. From this perspective, they justified their attacks by asserting that eliminating the Teke was the only way to restore peace and reclaim land for their communities.
The Mobondo fighters employed a range of methods of violence against civilians. They often entered villages wearing old military uniforms, killed village chiefs and their close associates, thus creating confusion and panic and prompting many residents to flee. Their methods also included raiding, looting, and burning down villages, specifically targeting key infrastructure like health centers, schools, churches, and residential areas. Civilians were victims of arson attacks, kidnappings and indiscriminate killings. Additionally, the fighters have ambushed vehicles along the RN17 and other major roads, resulting in civilian casualties.
The Mobondo initially and primarily attacked members of the Teke group, but their one-sided violence affected other civilian communities as well. Furthermore, the conflict displaced large numbers of people, many of whom fled to Kinshasa. The response from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) was largely reactive, occurring after Mobondo attacks rather than preventing them.
Mobondo first became active as a one-sided actor in 2023, when the violence passed the threshold of 25 civilian deaths, following an attack on 12 villagers and a local leader in Kwilu province.
