Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

FDD (Forces for the Defence of Democracy) (Congo Kinshasa)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 423
Country: Congo Kinshasa
Date formed: Aug. 2, 1998
    Accuracy of date formed: day
Details of Formation: The militia was a Hutu rebel group in Burundi before becoming a PGM in Congo. President Kabila asked the rebels to come to Congo in 1998 to help him fight against the Rwandan Army.
Date dissolved: Feb. 24, 2003
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination: In 1999, the Lusaka Peace Agreement demands that President Kabila stops support for the FDD. In 2001, a source reports that the government in Kinshasa stills supplies the militia with weapons. Eventually, the PGM laid down its arms in 2003 after the Burundian government agreed to share power with the Hutu rebel group.
Termination Type(s): none

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? yes
    Former Armed Group? yes
Former Rebel Group? yes
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: 434
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: no
    Main Creating Government Institution: none
Government Link(s): state (institution)
    If link to party, name of party:
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: no
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government; plunder and loot; military
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: ethnic; foreign nationals
Primary Membership: noncivilian
Alternative Primary Membership: ethnic
Location: Kivu
Force Strength: [unknown, 7000]
Target(s): civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; regular military force
Purpose(s): intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; destabilise neighbouring countries; fight insurgents

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: Hutu (Burundi)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: given
Ethnic Purpose: Tutsi (Rwanda)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: inferred

Other Information

Other Information: Burundi Hutu employed to fight against Rwandan army

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: President Kabila supported the militia as part of his strategy in the Second Congo War to fight the Rwandan military.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: Alongside the Rwandan Interahamwe and other pro-government militias the FDD participated in the Second Congo War where they used violence not only against military targets, but also against civilians. The government supported their behaviour by continuing supplying them with arms after the 1999 Lusaka Peace Agreement.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: sexual violence

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: Members joined because of their ethnic loyalty and because they wanted to intimidate ethnic Tutsis.
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size: One source reports that the militia has 7,000 members.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The Kabila government supported the militia by providing them with arms.

Organisation

Organisation: Before becoming a PGM in Congo, the FDD was organized as a rebel group in Burundi. In 2003, when the PGM ceased to be a militia, their leader was given a political office in the Burundian government.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Check PGMD for evidence.

Evidence