Mai-Mai
Encyclopedia
The term Mai-Mai or Mayi-Mayi refers to any kind of community-based militia group active in the Second Congo War
and its aftermath in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), formed to defend their local territory against other armed groups. Most were formed to resist the invasion of Rwanda
n forces and Rwanda-affiliated Congolese rebel groups, but some may have formed to exploit the war for their own advantage by looting
, cattle rustling or banditry
.
Groups that fall under the umbrella term "Mai Mai" include armed forces led by warlords, traditional tribal elders, village heads, and politically motivated resistance fighters. Because Mai Mai have had only the most tenuous internal cohesion, different Mai Mai groups allied themselves with a variety of domestic and foreign government and guerilla groups at different times. The term Mai Mai does not refer to any particular movement, affiliation or political objective but to a broad variety of groups.
The Mai Mai were particularly active (and in 2007, still active) in the provinces in the east bordering Rwanda, North Kivu and South Kivu (the "Kivus"), which were under the control of the Rwanda-allied Banyamulenge
-dominated rebel faction, the Rally for Congolese Democracy
-Goma
(RCD-Goma).
While militias have long been common in the Kivus, particularly among the minority Batembo and Babembe ethnic groups, the recent wars and conflicts caused large numbers of town dwellers to form Mai Mai.
Although the Mai Mai, either as a group or as individual groups, were not party to the 1999 Lusaka Accord
meant to end the war, they remained one of the most powerful forces in the conflict and the lack of cooperation from some groups has been problematic for the peace process.
According to a 2001 UN report, 20,000 to 30,000 Mai Mai were active in the two Kivu provinces. The two most powerful and well-organized Mai Mai groups in the Kivus were led by Generals Padiri and Dunia. They were reported to have received aid from the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and are widely viewed by other Mai Mai groups as the leaders, though not the commanders, of the Kivu Mai Mai. A number of smaller Mai Mai groups, such as the Mudundu 40/Front de Résistance et de Défense du Kivu (FRDKI) and Mouvement de Lutte contre l'Agression au Zaïre/Forces Unies de Résistance Nationale contre l'Agression de la Républíque Démocratique du Congo (MLAZ/FURNAC), were reported to cooperate with the Rwanda
n military and RCD-Goma.
Walikale and Masisi north of Goma were the centres of Mai Mai activity in North Kivu. In South Kivu, there have historically been concentrations around Walungu
and Bunyakiri south of Lake Kivu
, around Uvira
and Mwenaga at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika
, further south around Fizi
, and around Shabunda
, between the Rwandan border and Kindu.
, in particular around Kindu
and Kalemie
. Province Orientale also hosts a number of Mai Mai, but these groups were apparently involved in long-standing ethnic disputes.
and threatened to kill mountain gorilla
s if the government retaliated. The Mai Mai are also suspected of the killings of nine mountain gorillas, with the use of machetes, and automatic weapons.
, turned himself over to MONUC troops in May 2006. He was found guilty of numerous war crimes between October 2003 and May 2006 and was sentenced to death by the Kipushi Military Tribunal in Katanga Province
on March 6th, 2009. Another leader, Colonel Mayele was arrested by UN forces in October 2010, allegedly being the leader behind mass rapes in the Walikale region of North Kivu province.
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
and its aftermath in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC), formed to defend their local territory against other armed groups. Most were formed to resist the invasion of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n forces and Rwanda-affiliated Congolese rebel groups, but some may have formed to exploit the war for their own advantage by looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
, cattle rustling or banditry
Banditry
Banditry refers to the life and practice of bandits which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as "one who is proscribed or outlawed; hence, a lawless desperate marauder, a brigand: usually applied to members of the organized gangs which infest the mountainous districts of Italy, Sicily, Spain,...
.
Groups that fall under the umbrella term "Mai Mai" include armed forces led by warlords, traditional tribal elders, village heads, and politically motivated resistance fighters. Because Mai Mai have had only the most tenuous internal cohesion, different Mai Mai groups allied themselves with a variety of domestic and foreign government and guerilla groups at different times. The term Mai Mai does not refer to any particular movement, affiliation or political objective but to a broad variety of groups.
The Mai Mai were particularly active (and in 2007, still active) in the provinces in the east bordering Rwanda, North Kivu and South Kivu (the "Kivus"), which were under the control of the Rwanda-allied Banyamulenge
Banyamulenge
The Banyamulenge is a term historically describing the ethnic Tutsi Rwandans concentrated on the High Plateau of South Kivu, in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , close to the Burundi-Congo-Rwanda border...
-dominated rebel faction, the Rally for Congolese Democracy
Rally for Congolese Democracy
The Congolese Rally for Democracy, sometimes Rally for Congolese Democracy, was a rebel group operating in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Assisted by the government of Rwanda, it was a major factor in the Second Congo War . It became a political party in 2003...
-Goma
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
(RCD-Goma).
While militias have long been common in the Kivus, particularly among the minority Batembo and Babembe ethnic groups, the recent wars and conflicts caused large numbers of town dwellers to form Mai Mai.
Although the Mai Mai, either as a group or as individual groups, were not party to the 1999 Lusaka Accord
Lusaka Accord
The Lusaka Accord was signed in Lusaka on 7 September 1974, between the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique and the Portuguese government installed after the Carnation Revolution in Lisbon. In the agreement, Portugal formally recognized the right of the Mozambican people to independence and...
meant to end the war, they remained one of the most powerful forces in the conflict and the lack of cooperation from some groups has been problematic for the peace process.
Mai Mai in North and South Kivu
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n military and RCD-Goma.
Walikale and Masisi north of Goma were the centres of Mai Mai activity in North Kivu. In South Kivu, there have historically been concentrations around Walungu
Walungu
Walungu is a town and territory of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of CongoIt was the site of a plane crash on May 25, 2005 when a chartered Maniema Union Antonov An-28 aircraft, owned by Victoria Air, crashed into a mountain near Walungu, about 30 minutes after takeoff. All of the 22...
and Bunyakiri south of Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika...
, around Uvira
Uvira
Uvira is a city in Sud-Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, located at the extreme north end of Lake Tanganyika. There is a lake port called Kalundu at the southern end of the town, which provides links by boat to Kalemie, Kigoma in Tanzania, and Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.The town...
and Mwenaga at the northern end of Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
, further south around Fizi
Fizi
Fizi is a territory and town in the province of Sud-Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located in the south of the province, on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The region has had a long history of independence from Kinshasa. It was the location of the maquis set up by Laurent-Désiré...
, and around Shabunda
Shabunda
Shabunda is a locality and a territory of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Shabunda is the largest territory in the province, covering more than 25,000 square kilometres....
, between the Rwandan border and Kindu.
Mai Mai outside of the African peninsula
There was a large Mai Mai presence in ManiemaManiema
Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
, in particular around Kindu
Kindu
Kindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Congo River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu....
and Kalemie
Kalemie
Kalemie, formerly Albertville/Albertstad, is a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is next to the exit of the Lukuga River flowing out from Lake Tanganyika to the Lualaba River....
. Province Orientale also hosts a number of Mai Mai, but these groups were apparently involved in long-standing ethnic disputes.
Mai Mai and the mountain gorillas
In May 2007, Mai Mai killed two wildlife officers in Virunga National ParkVirunga National Park
The Virunga National Park , formerly named Albert National Park, is a 7800 square km National Park that stretches from the Virunga Mountains in the South, to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori...
and threatened to kill mountain gorilla
Mountain Gorilla
The Mountain Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic...
s if the government retaliated. The Mai Mai are also suspected of the killings of nine mountain gorillas, with the use of machetes, and automatic weapons.
Leaders
A former leader of the Mai-Mai, Gédéon Kyungu MutangaGédéon Kyungu Mutanga
Gédéon Kyungu Mutanga is a leader of the Mai-Mai militia group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 16 May 2006 he was detained. In 2009 he and his wife were convicted for committing crimes against humanity during the Second Congo War. Gédéon was sentenced to death...
, turned himself over to MONUC troops in May 2006. He was found guilty of numerous war crimes between October 2003 and May 2006 and was sentenced to death by the Kipushi Military Tribunal in Katanga Province
Katanga Province
Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
on March 6th, 2009. Another leader, Colonel Mayele was arrested by UN forces in October 2010, allegedly being the leader behind mass rapes in the Walikale region of North Kivu province.