international News

Convicted war criminal Lubanga announces new rebel group in east Congo

Former Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga awaits the judges’ verdict in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, December 1, 2014

March 31 — A convicted war criminal, Thomas Lubanga, hiding in Uganda has announced a new rebel movement the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CPR), to topple the government in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, creating another potential security threat in the war-scarred region.

The formation of CPR by Lubanga, an Ituri native, comes as Congo’s army faces an unprecedented advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels elsewhere in eastern Congo.

The International Criminal Court first convicted Thomas Lubanga in 2012 on charges of recruiting child soldiers and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

He was released in 2020 and President Felix Tshisekedi appointed him to a task force to bring peace to Ituri. But in 2022 he was taken hostage for two months by a rebel group, which he blames on the government, and is now based in Uganda.

In written responses to questions from Reuters, Lubanga said the CPR had both political and military elements, including armed men in three areas of Ituri.

Bringing peace to the area “requires an immediate change in governance and government,” he said, though he added that the group has not launched military operations.

It is unclear how many combatants Lubanga might control. U.N. experts last year accused him of mobilising fighters to support a local militia and M23.

Congo’s presidency did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Ituri has been rocked by violence by various armed groups for decades. Doctors Without Borders last week described “a renewed spike in atrocities” that had killed more than 200 civilians and displaced around 100,000 people since the beginning of the year.

Ugandan troops are present in Ituri to help the government fight the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is affiliated with the Islamic State and stages brutal attacks on villages.

Related posts

Ambassador’s Beloved Son Passes On, After Shooting Himself

Ssekanyumiza Amansa Bwino

Israel raids north Gaza hospital, Patients told to leave

ndiwalanakiwa@gmail.com

Museveni’s South Sudan Trip Ends with Call for Peace

Dean Lubowa Saava

Breaking News: Kagame and Tshisekedi Agree on Ceasefire and Dialogue in Doha Talks

Ssekanyumiza Amansa Bwino

White House pauses federal grants and loans

ndiwalanakiwa@gmail.com

Anxiety rises in D.R. Congo capital as M23 rebels advance

ndiwalanakiwa@gmail.com

Rays of Hope in the Ruins: Myanmar’s Earthquake Miracle

Cathy Mirembe

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Takes Office as Commonwealth Secretary-General, Vows to Lead with Unity and Purpose

Barbra Zeka

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah Sworn in as First Female President

Barbra Zeka

Val Kilmer A Hollywood Icon Remembered

Barbra Zeka

Leave a Comment