Hundreds Displaced Following Congolese Army’s Gun Battle With Local Militia

Hundreds have been displaced in several villages of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the ongoing gun battle between the Congolese army and Mobondo militia, a group claiming to be defenders of the country’s Yaka people.

The fierce artillery battles have repeatedly affected villagers in Kitsakala village and its neighbouring communities in the Kwago province. For over three days now, sounds of bombardment and weapons clattering have caused general fear of terror among locals, triggering massive displacement of the civilian population.

The local civil society organisations in the Kwango province noted that hundreds of displaced have been found converging in Popokaba, aggravating the humanitarian crises ravaging the region. Popokaba has witnessed mass displacements propelled by a cocktail of armed violence and communal clashes in the country, sparking disturbing cases of food insecurity and malnutrition.

“The populations are displaced; they have left where there was fighting between the Mobondo militia and the FARDC. The population is afraid of these confrontations; several persons have abandoned their houses and their families to seek cover in Popokaba. The place is full of displaced persons who are from villages where clashes took place. It is a massive movement. During the first clashes, there was displacement of persons, and the same thing is happening again. Unfortunately, the displaced persons have never been assisted,” said Symphorien Kwengo, the Vice President of the Kwango civil society coalition.

“There is an apparent calm, and even this morning [Dec. 9], clashes have continued between Mobondo militia and FARDC soldiers. What we deplore is the fact that the fighting is going on within the village,” Kwengo added.

On Dec. 7, the army published a report stating that more than 20 died during the clashes. The FARDC revealed a total of 17 Mobondo militia were killed, while four were wounded and captured by the army. Thirteen arms, among which were eleven of calibre 12, one RPJ7 rocket launcher and one AK-47, as well as several war ammunitions, were seized during clashes that lasted for several hours.

According to the Congolese army spokesperson, Anthony Mualushayi, four other militia were killed on Dec. 7 and nine calibre 12 weapons with several bullets were seized while two soldiers of the 11 th military region were killed and three others wounded.

In 2023, the Congolese military launched a crackdown on the Mobondo militia, but the government imposed a media blackout, restricting journalists’ access to three provinces ravaged by communal violence, causing a recurring loss of life and property.