A United Nations report released Wednesday reveals that Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, a former militia leader in Ituri and the first person to be convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), is now involved in supporting and structuring armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Released in 2020 after serving a 14-year sentence for war crimes, Lubanga is accused of joining the Zaire/ADCVI group and facilitating its alliance with the AFC-M23 coalition.
According to UN experts, Lubanga, accompanied by Yves Khawa Panga Mandro, also targeted by international sanctions, played a key role in the mobilization, recruitment and training of thousands of fighters in Ituri. Acting as the "moral authority" of the Zaire/ADCVI group, he allegedly facilitated arms transfers, training in camps in Tchanzu (North Kivu) and Uganda, as well as the redeployment of fighters for offensives against the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).
The report states that Lubanga moved to Kampala, Uganda, in July 2024, where he met with AFC-M23 leader Corneille Nangaa and other officials. Yves Khawa’s farm, located in Hoima District, Uganda, near Lake Albert, has been identified as a transit point for fighters and weapons. These activities include military training, conducted by Ugandan and Rwandan instructors, and organizing logistical movements across Lake Albert.
Experts report that Lubanga sent emissaries to reconcile different armed factions in Ituri, including the MAPI group and Zaire/ADCVI. Although MAPI chose to maintain its independence, it agreed to collaborate with the AFC-M23 coalition. This rapprochement made it possible to structure a common offensive strategy targeting the FARDC and to coordinate activities in the territories of Djugu, Mahagi and Aru.
The United Nations stresses that this mobilization, facilitated by regular meetings in Uganda and logistical support from regional networks, constitutes a major threat to the stability of Ituri and North Kivu. The report also highlights the role of Innocent Kaina, alias India Queen, an influential M23 commander, who works closely with Lubanga from Kampala to coordinate the activities of the armed groups.
The Ugandan government, when questioned by the group of experts, denied any knowledge of Lubanga and Khawa's presence and activities on its territory. However, the experts point to evidence of strategic meetings held in Uganda and arms flows through logistics bases established in the region.
This new alliance, orchestrated by historical figures of the conflicts in Ituri, therefore amplifies tensions in the east of the DRC. Thus, the strategy of mobilization and collaboration with the AFC-M23 coalition risks prolonging the clashes, compromising stabilization efforts in a region already devastated by decades of violence.
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