Western DR Congo clashes

The Western DR Congo clashes are a series of attacks by Mobondo militia on armed forces and Teke civilians which started in June 2022. The conflict has an ethnic component, as the Mobondo is mainly recruited from Yaka and other ethnic groups that are migrating into territories traditionally inhabited by Teke.

Background
The areas north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's capital of Kinshasa, most notably Batéké Plateau, have been historically underdeveloped and poor. The natives of the region mainly belonged to the Teke people. Over time, migrants belonging to ethnic groups of neighboring provinces like Kwilu and Kwango began to drift into traditional Teke territories, seeking land to set up farms. The migrants, mostly Yaka, Mbala and Suku, were allowed to settle on the condition that they paid the Teke chiefs customary taxes. These taxes were also paid by regular Teke farmers, but still perceived as unfair by the migrants.

Tensions gradually increased over the years. Though not common, violent disputes over land ownership periodically occurred in the region. Eventually, the Teke chiefs declared in 2022 that they would increase the customary taxes, outraging many local farmers who refused to pay. The chiefs responded by attempting to use force to collect the taxes. Meanwhile, a fake letter by the Congolese Interior Ministry's chief of staff started to circulate, claiming that the customary taxes had been completely suspended, furthering the tensions.

2022
The violence started on 9 June 2022 in the village of Masia-Mbe, in the Bateke Sud sector of Mai Ndombe, where Yaka and Mbala farmers gathered to protest against the tax increase. The crowd marched to the house of a local chief and began to throw stones; the chief's brother responded by opening fire with a hunting rifle and killing one Yaka farmer. In retaliation, Yaka farmers returned in large numbers on the next day, stormed Masia Mbe, burnt the chief's house and looted the villge. From this point onward, the conflict over the land and taxes became increasingly violent, with Kwamouth becoming a center of fighting.

In late June, Yaka organized armed groups, collectively named "Mobondo" after protective amulets. The new militia was mainly armed with machetes, bows, spears, and a smaller number of guns, including a few military assault rifles. The Mobondo began to attack Teke communities, killing civilians and looting property. Some Teke also organized armed groups and carried out attacks on Yaka communities, but they were outgunned and soon overrun by the Mobondo. As the militia's operations increased and Teke fled from its attacks, the armed group increasingly shifted from its original motive of tax resistance to full-on conquest of Teke territories. Over the nerxt months, Mobondo raided 43 Teke villages. Yansi people have also been targeted due to being perceived as allies of the Teke. As the attacks escalated, the militia became better organized and rallied around a number of prominent farmers, most prominently Odon Nkimona Kumbu. The latter gave himself a royal Yaka title, "Kiamvu", and started to portray himself as the "traditional king and spiritual leader of the Yaka". In this context, the Mobondo militia was accused to trying to capture the Batéké Plateau due it being allegedly land of the "ancient Yaka kingdom of Lunda". The police issued search warrants on Odon Kiamvu and against five other suspects, including the individuals known as Cobra and Saddam, for their alleged leadership of Mobondo.

2023
On 11 May 2023 Mobondo attacked the locality of Nguma, one soldier and four militiamen were killed. On 29 June Mobondo ambushed a truck with Teke villagers killing around 20 civilians. On 17 September three soldiers and 15 suspected militiamen were killed in a clash near Mulosi. In September 2023 militiamen controlled 73 of the 144 villages in Kwamouth, including Menkwo, Fadiaka, Salongo and Mfumu Zale.

On 16 November armed forces recaptured Nshemamfum and Nsele villages which were occupied by Mobondo for a few months.

2024
On 7 January Mobondo occupied Mbusie village killing four people and injuring two. Ten days later they occupied Menkwo village.

On 23 January 2024 around 10 people were killed in an attack on a village in Kwamouth, and another seven were reportedly killed in the province of Kwango on 2 February. On 6 April five people were killed in Mobondo attack on Engawu.

On 13 July, FARDC repels an attack by Mobondo militiamen on the village of Kinsele, Kwamouth, Democratic Republic of Congo. Forty-two Mobondo militiamen, nine FARDC soldiers and one civilian were killed.