Tshimbulu Militia Attack (2016)
The Tshimbulu Militia Attack occurred on August 14, 2016, in Tshimbulu village, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), during a violent confrontation between police and a local militia led by Kamwina Nsapu. The clash resulted in the deaths of nineteen individuals, including eleven police officers, with additional police reported missing. The conflict arose amid escalating tensions due to the government's longstanding struggles with various local militia groups formed in the aftermath of the Second Congo War. These groups often resort to violent actions in response to perceived government abuses, particularly in areas like Kasaï-Central where the Tshimbulu incident took place.
Leading up to the attack, reports suggested that the police attempted to raid Tshimbulu, which the militia perceived as an illegal invasion. In the wake of the violence, many villagers fled, and government officials accused the rebels of terrorizing the local population. The DRC has faced numerous challenges, including the presence of radical Islamist groups, ongoing militia conflicts, and issues of governance and human rights under the leadership of President Joseph Kabila. The United Nations has been active in the region, providing peacekeeping support as the country grapples with these complex security dynamics. The Tshimbulu incident highlights the ongoing struggles between state authority and local militia movements in the DRC, reflecting a broader context of instability and humanitarian concern.
Subject Terms
Tshimbulu Militia Attack (2016)
Date: August 14, 2016
Place: Tshimbulu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Summary
The Tshimbulu militia attack was a 2016 confrontation between police and an armed group led by a militia leader named Kamwina Nsapu in Tshimbulu village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a violent confrontation, nineteen were killed, including eleven policemen, and another four police officers were missing after the attack.
Key Events
- August 14, 2016—Militia group clashes with police in the village of Tshimbulu.
Status
As of late 2016, DRC sources had not confirmed any new developments resulting from the police raid on Tshimbulu village, though some on social media and in local press agencies questioned the government’s decision to raid the village. The government has long been in conflict with local militias formed during the Second Congo War (1998–2003) that are still active in the country. In addition to local, regional, and countrywide militant movements, the DRC has also been a target of terrorism by radical Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and al-Shabaab that have been active throughout Africa. The presence of numerous militant threats to governmental authority has inspired an active United Nations peacekeeping mission in the nation as well as the involvement of numerous human rights and welfare organizations.
In-Depth Overview
As a result of the Second Congo War and the nation’s subsequent struggles with local militias and terrorist organizations, human rights organizations estimate that between two and five million people were killed in the DRC from 1998 to 2008. Since Joseph Kabila became president of the DRC in 2001, some citizens and humanitarian aid workers have accused the DRC of human rights violations and have accused the Kabila administration of enacting increasingly authoritarian policies. Many of the militia groups that have formed in the region, especially in the mountainous North Kivu region, have blamed Kabila’s failure to protect the nation from terrorism and corruption as their inspiration for armed rebellion. Lacking advanced weapons and training, local militia attacks in the DRC have often consisted of mobs attacking citizens in a village or city with machetes and improvised weapons. Often, human rights workers have a difficult time determining the cause of a local attack or which group was responsible. Since 1999, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), a peacekeeping force, has been assisting the government in fighting terrorism and local insurgents and has attempted to mediate local disputes.
On August 14, 2016, police clashed with a group of armed rebels in the village of Tshimbulu, located about 50 miles from Kananga, the capital of the Kasaï-Central province. The leader of the rebels, known as Kamwina Nsapu, also known as Jean-Pierre Pandi, was said by local news sources to have been angry that security forces conducted an illegal and unwarranted raid on the village and had abused villagers. Allegedly in response to these violations, Nsapu sought to drive security forces out of the village.
During the weeks leading up to the August 14 attack, government sources claimed that six police officers were killed by Nsapu, allegedly while attempting to convince Nsapu to lay down arms and allow police to enter Tshimbulu. In addition, DRC government spokespeople claimed that the militants destroyed part of a neighboring village, burning down huts and chasing villagers away, and that the government had called for Nsapu to surrender to authorities. On August 14, police raided Tshimbulu and engaged in a firefight with Nsapu and militants. Nineteen people were reported killed in the clash, including eleven policemen and eight members of the militia. Government reports claimed that forty militia members, including fourteen children between the ages of five and twelve, had been arrested by police.
According to Alex Kande, governor of Kasaï-Central, hundreds had fled Tshimbulu to nearby villages in the wake of the militants taking control of the village. Government spokesmen said it was the rebels, not the security forces, who had been terrorizing the village, and urged villagers to return following the end of the clash.
Key Figures
Joseph Kabila: President of the DRC.
Alex Kande: Governor of Kasaï-Central province in the DRC.
Kamwina Nsapu: Leader of a local militia involved in the August 14 clash with police.
Bibliography
Clashes between police, militia in central DRCongo kill 19. (2016, November 1). Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.deccanchronicle.com/world/africa/140816/clashes-between-police-militia-in-central-drcongo-kill-19.html
Les forces de l’ordre demandent aux déplacés de Tshimbulu de rentrer. (2016, August 15). Radio Okapi. Retrieved from http://www.radiookapi.net/2016/08/15/actualite/securite/les-forces-de-lordre-demandent-aux-deplaces-de-tshimbulu-de-rentrer
IPIS weekly briefing, 4–17 August 2016. (2016, August 17). ReliefWeb. Retrieved from http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/ipis-weekly-briefing-4-17-august-2016-enfr
19 killed in clashes between police and militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (2016, August 14). Newshour Online. Retrieved from https://newshour.online/2016/08/14/19-killed-clashes-police-militia-democratic-republic-congo/
Nineteen killed in clashes in central DRCongo. (2016, August 14). Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3739794/Nineteen-killed-clashes-central-DRCongo.html
RDC: affrontments meurtriers a Tshimbulu, dans le Kasai-Central. (2016, August 14). RFI Afrique. Retrieved from http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20160814-rdc-tshimbulu-affrontements-meurtriers-kasai-central