Heavy clashes have recently erupted between Congo’s army and a new militia group in the war-scarred Ituri province of eastern Congo. The militia group, a new security threat in the region, was founded by Thomas Lubanga, a war criminal convicted by the International Criminal Court.
A civil society activist on the ground has reported that the civilian death toll from the recent heavy fighting has reached at least 19 people. Congo’s military said its troops were able to kill 12 of the group’s fighters during clashes in two different locations north of Bunia.
A commander for the militia, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, however, acknowledged the death of only a single fighter. The new group is formally known as the Convention for the Popular Revolution, or CPR, which poses a significant challenge.
Lubanga, who is a native of the Ituri region, has stated that his group’s goal is to topple the local regional government. The International Criminal Court had previously convicted Lubanga on charges of recruiting and using child soldiers.
He was sentenced to a 14-year prison term but was ultimately released on appeal in 2020. He was later appointed by the President to a special task force created to bring lasting peace to the region.
The emergence of this new militia, founded by a former war criminal, poses another significant security threat in the war-ravaged eastern Congo. This conflict is unfolding in a region where the M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have already seized a large amount of territory.
