Cleaning Out the Closet: Armed Groups in the Great Lakes Region
The presence of so-called ‘negative forces’ in the Great Lakes Region, especially eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has long been recognised by major stakeholders such as the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the United Nations, as one of the major impediments to stability in the region.
Jamila El Abdellaoui, Senior Researcher, Conflict Prevention Programme, ISS Addis Ababa Office
The presence of so-called ‘negative forces’ in the
Great Lakes Region, especially eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), has long been recognised by major stakeholders such as the
African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region
and the United Nations, as one of the major impediments to stability in
the region. Currently, with several ongoing military operations in
eastern DRC, the use of force to deal with these ‘negative forces’ is
considered the most fruitful option. Even in the case of the Lord’s
Resistance Army (LRA), which took part in a protracted peace process
with the Government of Uganda (GoU), facilitated by southern Sudan, a
military solution is favoured to either neutralise the movement or push
it to sign an agreement. This includes Ugandan forces currently
hunting down the movement’s remnants in the Central African Republic.
In light of the numerous ongoing military offensives, it is
noteworthy that the GoU is participating in a mediation effort by MONUC
to repatriate a less well-known armed group with Ugandan origins,
namely the Allied Democratic Forces/National Army for the Liberation of
Uganda (ADF/NALU). The ADF/NALU is a coalition of two armed movements.
The ADF is often referred to as a Muslim rebel movement, said to have
its origins in the Tabliqi Jamaat movement of Uganda, a local
version of the larger Indian/Pakistani Tabliq movement created in the
1920s. In the early 1990s, members of this group opposed the appointment
of a national mufti, allegedly resulting in the political persecution
of Ugandan Tabliqis. This is said to have contributed to the Tabliqis’
sense of marginalisation by the GoU. Subsequently, many Tabliqis moved
to western Uganda and with alleged support from the Sudanese
government, it started attacking the GoU. However, it lacked popular
support and it was unclear what its ultimate objectives were. Following
an offensive by the Ugandan army in 1995, the group relocated to
eastern DRC, Zaire at the time. At this point a catholic convert, Jamil
Mukulu, founded the ADF, supposedly supported by ex-commanders in
former President Idi Amin’s army. Mukulu has often been linked to Osama
bin Laden, a result of his stay in Sudan in the 1990s.
The ADF soon after formed a coalition force with NALU, which was
created in the late 1980s in western Uganda. NALU’s creation, like that
of other armed groups in the area, is explained by tensions within the
local kingdoms in western Uganda as well as opposition to the central
government. NALU specifically was founded by a supporter of former
President Milton Obote. Mobutu allegedly joined the Sudanese in
supporting the coalition force, which launched its first serious attack
against the GoU in 1996, now specifying that its aim is to overthrow
the GoU. Even following Mobutu’s downfall, ADF/NALU, at this point made
up of approximately 4,500 well-trained combatants, continued its armed
opposition, resulting in the death of hundreds of people and the
displacement of some 150,000 by 2001. In the same year, the ADF was
added to the Terrorist Exclusion List of the US government.
Subsequent military operations by the GoU against the coalition
force seriously diminished its military capacity. In 2005, following
the failure of the remaining ADF/NALU combatants to respond to an
amnesty offer by the GoU, MONUC teamed up with the Congolese army to
undertake a joint military offensive against the coalition force. This
further weakened the coalition but its command structure remained
largely intact, although MONUC indicated at this point that it no
longer considered ADF/NALU as a viable military force.
Years of uncertainty on the future moves of the coalition force
ensued until reports emerged towards the end of 2007 that the ADF was
seeking peace talks with the GoU. These calls were intensified
following an apparent delay in a response by the GoU, with Mukulu
threatening to resume fighting in January 2009. Soon after, it was
reported that ADF had requested former Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush
Haradinaj – who was only recently acquitted of charges of ethnic
cleansing by the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia -
to mediate between the GoU and ADF. Although the GoU reportedly
accepted Haradinaj as peacemaker, MONUC eventually concretised a
negotiation process between the two parties, including NALU.
A first round of talks was held under the auspices of MONUC in early
August 2009 in Kisangani, during which presentations were made on the
Ugandan amnesty law that continues to apply to those willing to lay down
arms. For its part, ADF/NALU presented a list of initial demands with
regards to its force, estimated to presently consist of 1,300 fighters,
60% of which are said to be Congolese. A second meeting was held at the
end of August. This time the parties agreed to form their negotiation
teams whilst ADF/NALU committed to releasing about 30 Ugandan and 30
Congolese combatants by 20 September, which would be facilitated by the
Disarmament, Demobilisation, Repatriation, Reintegration and
Resettlement (DDRRR) section of MONUC. Both parties also committed to
visiting sites suggested as Transit and Reception Centers. Another
meeting would be scheduled shortly to examine the implementation of
action points thus far as well as to establish a timeframe for follow-up
talks.
Although ADF/NALU cannot be considered as significant as movements
like the LRA and FDLR, it nevertheless joins a long list of ‘inactive’
or smaller armed groups in the region that collectively contribute to
continued instability and the proliferation of arms in the Great Lakes
Region. Most of these movements, like the ADF/NALU, do not appear to
(still) be fighting for a genuine cause and benefit from exploiting
resources in eastern DRC. The majority of these groups also do not have
the strength to pose a serious threat to the regime they oppose. In
recognition of the myriad of issues causing, triggering and sustaining
these movements, it would be important to analyse the circumstances
that led ADF/NALU to seek a peaceful way to formally end its armed
opposition. Lessons learned from this process may prove valuable for
dealing with the other smaller movements in the region, which will
contribute to a comprehensive approach towards bringing stability to
the Great Lakes Region.
