Pro-Government Militias
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
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.