DRC Soldiers Defect to Ituri Militia Group

Although the DRC military units have been known to defect to the M23 rebel group, the past weeks have seen defections of FARDC soldiers to join the Patriotic Resistance Force in Ituri (FRPI) led by Cobra Matata.

In a statement released August 17, its indicated that the last two months, four groups of soldiers have joined the FRPI militia in Ituri.

Local congolese media quoted the President of the Ituri civil society who says these defections are primarily recorded in the localities of Bugoro, Marabo and Komanda.

However, its not established why FARDC soldiers are defecting to FRPI militia,”which is in the process of integration into the national army,” and asked the military authorities to accelerate this process to appease civilians who are these defections fear of rising insecurity in Ituri.

The operations officer at the General Staff in Ituri, General Dieudonné Amuli says he remains confident of progress of the integration process of Cobra Matata and his men in the Congolese army.

In February this year, Cobra Matata had expressed willingness to join the army with his men, saying “it is time to make peace.”

However, since then FRPI and three other armed groups in Ituri regrouped in a league called: Coalition of armed groups in Ituri (Cogai) led by Cobra Matata.

These militiamen also called for the creation of a military region in Ituri led by a native of this district and the departure of Colonel Fal Sikabwé, current head of the operations in the area.

At the beginning of August, the battalion commander of FARDC Major Taikondo Nonzi, defected and joined the FRPI. According to the spokesman of the militia, the officer defected with his deputy and several soldiers from his old battalion, carrying weapons and ammunition.

Confirming information, in Ituri commander, Colonel Fall Sikabue, announced that soldiers are in pursuit of the deserter.

Two months ago, nearly a hundred soldiers had joined the same militia Bogoro. These soldiers had mentioned the lack of pay and poor treatment to explain their desertion.