Misplaced Pages

Wazalendo

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
The Force of Patriotic Awakening for the Liberation of Congo
La Force de l’Eveil Patriotique pour la Liberation du Congo (French)
Dates of operationMay 2023–present
Merger of
HeadquartersPinga
Active regionsDemocratic Republic of the Congo
OpponentsMarch 23 Movement
 Rwanda
 Islamic State
Allied Democratic Forces
Battles and warsKivu Conflict

The EPLC (La Force de l’Eveil Patriotique pour la Liberation du Congo), often calling themselves ’Wazalendo’ (Swahili for patriots or nationalists), is a group of irregular fighters in North Kivu province made up of rebel groups allied with the official Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) military and opposed to the M23. It consists of the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS), Nduma Defense of Congo-Renovated (NDC-R), the Collective of Movements for Change (CMC), Patriotic Self-Defense Movement (MPA), and different Nyatura groups.

History

In November 2022, President Félix Tshisekedi called for the formation of "vigilance groups against the expansionist ambitions" of the M23. The response was increased recruitment for the official FARDC military forces, but rebel groups also claimed the mantle of resisting the M23.

On May 8-9, 2023, several rebel groups and FARDC officers met in the town of Pinga and negotiated a nonaggression pact and the creation of a patriotic coalition to resist the M23. The FARDC officers were led by Col. Salomon Tokolonga, commander of the 3411th regiment. While the alliance was initially organized in secret, the government officially legalized the use of militias within FARDC on September 3, 2023.

The Wazalendo fought in the Second Battle of Kitshanga against the M23.

On August 16, 2024, Wazalendo militia members were killed by IS-CAP militants.

References

  1. ^ The 'wazalendo': Patriots at war in eastern DRC, 19 December 2023
  2. Livingstone, Emmet (2024-05-17). "'Bullet wounds are common': crime rife in DRC's rebel-besieged city of Goma". the Guardian. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  3. ^ "The 'wazalendo': Patriots at war in eastern DRC". Le Monde.fr. 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  4. "Afrikarabia » Contre le M23, Kinshasa fait le pari risqué des groupes armés" (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  5. "M23 crisis flares again in North Kivu: context, dynamics and risks". IPIS. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  6. "DR Congo: Army Units Aided Abusive Armed Groups". Human Rights Watch. 2022-10-18. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  7. "Wazalendo Add to Eastern DRC's Complex Brew of Combatants". Africa Defense Forum. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  8. https://x.com/war_noir/status/1824556479447175573. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
Category: