Organizational History

The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) is a nationalist, racist group that was established on December 30, 2006 by General Laurent Nkunda[2]. Laurent Nkunda created the group in response to an alleged threat on Congolese Tutsi villages from the rival Hutu group, the Forces for the Democratic Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)[3][4]. 

Following a heavy defeat by Pakistani forces from the United Nations mission to the DRC, Nkunda’s group entered into a ceasefire with the Congolese government in exchange for repatriation back into the regular military[5]. This treaty greatly swelled the ranks of the group, allowing Nkunda to control a much larger area of the region. With his increased forces, Nkunda began a campaign against the FDLR. Despite the group’s claims, this campaign was ultimately unsuccessful and led to the Congolese governments’ restriction of CNDP forces and the demand for them to be fully integrated into the Congolese military. Nkunda refused and following an attack on pro-Kinshasa soldiers in August of 2007, violence between the CNDP and the Congolese government rapidly intensified[6]. In January of 2009, a chief of CNDP military operations, Bosco Ntaganda, held a press conference in which he stated he was taking control of the CNDP from Nkunda and joining with the Congolese national military to fight the FDLR[7]. General Nkunda was arrested following the announcement on January 22, 2009, after crossing into Rwanda[7].

Structure

The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) has both an organized political and military structure. The political wing, with its headquarters based in Kitchanga, DRC, is made of an executive committee and a congress. At the local level, the CNDP has cells that are in charge of holding rallies, spreading the ideologies of the CNDP, and reporting on political and security developments[8]. The CNDP also has a network of intelligence agents that infiltrated the aid agencies that are operational in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)[8]. The military wing of the CNDP is organized in a typical military fashion with several divisions of soldiers under the command of separate commanders[9]. In 2008, the military was divided into five sectors under the command of Colonels Sultani Makenga, Eric Geriat, Munyakazi, Eric Ruohimbere and Claude Mucho[10].

Arsenal

The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) acquired a majority of its weapons during confrontations with the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC)[10]. The CNDP were able to capture at least seven 82 mm mortars, four 60 mm mortars, one 75mm recoilless rocket launcher, eight heavy machine guns, one 14 mm mortar, two multiple rocket launchers, 22 rocket propelled grenades, 130 Ak-47 rifles, and various other heavy weapons along with ammunition for the mortars and the rifles[10]. The CNDP also received several shipments of weapons and military uniforms from numerous brigade commanders in the FARDC[10].

Funding

The largest support for the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) came from the Tutsi community in both Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)[8]. A vast majority of the CNDP finances came from taxes on truck drivers that were collected by CNDP fighters at militant checkpoints[3]. From 2006 through 2008, the CNDP created what was called the “the little state”, which encompassed the Masisi and Rutshuru territories in the DRC, where the CNDP fighters would collect taxes and voluntary donations from the Tutsi communities[6]. The CNDP also received funding from entry and exit taxes taken at the Bunagana customs on the Democratic Republic of the Congo/Uganda border[10]. It was reported that the CNDP made over $700,000 in taxes from September 2007 through September 2008 at the Bunagan border crossing[10]. CNDP also benefited from the mining and transportation of minerals, precious metals, and coal[8].

Recruitment

The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) is comprised of mostly ethnic Tutsis. The CNDP was originally made of formerConstitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) membersfrom both Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups; however a majority of the CNDP leaders were Tutsi[6]. The recruitment for the group is achieved through a number of methods including the forceful recruitment of soldiers, including children into the CNDP ranks[3]. Between 2006 and 2008, hundreds of members joined the CNDP ranks, including from the refugee camps in Rwanda, former demobilized Rwandan soldiers, and active Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) soldiers, some of whom were on “temporary” leave from their army[6]. In 2008, the number of CNDP militants was estimated to have been 4,000 to 7,000 fighters[6].

Tactics

The National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) are responsible for perpetrating mass atrocities against civilians, including massacres, attacks on Congolese government soldiers, and fighters from other militant groups including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)[2]. The CNDP would also execute anyone that had been accused of helping the Mai-Mai Coalition of Congolese Patriotic Resistance (PARECO) fighters[11].

Gallery

References

1. Retrieved from [1] on December 6, 2011.
2. United States Holocaust Memorial Musem (2010, January 5). Who are the CNDP?. Retrieved from [2]
3. McCrummen, Stephanie (2007, August 6). For Tutsis of Eastern Congo, Protector, Exploiter or Both?. Retrieved from [3]
4. Raise Hope for Congo. Armed Groups: National Congress for the Defense of the People (CDDP). Retrieved from [4]
5. Renewed Crisis in North Kivu. (2007, October 22). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from [5].
6. Human Rights Watch (2009, December). “You Will Be Punished”: Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo. Retrieved from [6]
7. IRIN (2009, January 26). DRC: Civilians at Risk from Further Fighting after Nkunda Arrest. Retrieved from [7]
8. Stearns, Jason K. (2008, April). Laurent Nkunda and the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP). Retrieved from [8]
9. Nienaber, Georgianne (2009, September 14). Congo: Kabila Tells IDPs to “Go Home,” Howard Wople Takes Reins as Special Envoy. Retrieved from [9]
10. United Nations Security Council (2008, December 12). Final Report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved fromhttp://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/tobacco/assets/pdf/un_experts_report.pdf
11. Stearns, Jason (2011, May 27). Shocking Pink. Retrieved from [10]
12. Retrieved from [11] on December 8, 2011.
13. ICC. (2008, November 4). International Criminal Court Prosecutor Investigating Laurent Nkunda and CNDP for War Crimes. Congo Planet. Retrieved from [12] on December 8, 2011.
14. Pflanz,M. (2008, November 4). Congolese rebel leader warns he will take war to capital. The Telegraph. Retrieved from [13] on December 28, 2011.
15. CNDP declares ceasefire. (2008, October 29). RFI English. Retrieved from [14] on December 28, 2011.
16. Day in Pictures. (2008, November 10). BBC News. Retrieved from [15] on December 28, 2011.
17. Retrieved from [16] on December 28, 2011.