In a remote mining village in the Democratic Republic of Congo, teenagers carrying Kalashnikovs guard a gold mine while claiming to fight for their country.
asserted
teenagers → carry → country
But behind the language of patriotism lies another reality: a growing militia economy fuelled by war, mineral wealth, road tolls and ransom.
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reality → lie → war
Around 100 heavily armed militiamen now call the small village of Mwala in southeastern DRC home.
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militiamen → call → DRC
Many came from South Kivu after government forces retreated following an offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.
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forces → come → group
They now provide "security" at an artisanal gold mine operated by a Chinese company and collect money from businesses and people moving through territory they control.
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they → provide → territory
The fighters call themselves "wazalendo", meaning "patriots" in Swahili, a name used for local militias supporting government forces against M23.
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fighters → call → M23
Some say they are defending the country.
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they → say → country
Residents, however, say the militias are better known for extortion, while local officials warn that the proliferation of weapons could turn the region's unresolved conflicts into a larger security crisis.
uncertain
proliferation → say → crisis
The development illustrates how the war in eastern Congo is creating space for armed groups beyond M23 to expand their influence, access weapons and profit from the mineral-rich region.
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groups → illustrate → region
How the M23 war gave militias a new lease of life
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war → give → life
The M23 armed group controls large areas of eastern DRC and has played a major role in the violence and instability that has long plagued the mineral-rich region.
But M23 is only one part of the security challenge facing the area.
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M23 → control → area
Numerous armed groups and militias operate across eastern Congo, complicating efforts to end the conflict between the government and M23.
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groups → operate → government
In December, M23 launched an offensive against Uvira in South Kivu province, triggering a chaotic withdrawal of government forces.
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M23 → launch → forces
As soldiers retreated, weapons, uniforms and ammunition were abandoned along roads.
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weapons → retreat → roads
Some government troops were also forcibly disarmed by local militias that said they were prepared to fight in their place.
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they → disarm → place
Weapons and fighters subsequently moved into neighbouring Tanganyika province, which had only recently emerged from a brutal communal conflict.
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which → move → conflict
Since then, Mwala has become one of the places where these armed groups have entrenched themselves.
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groups → become → themselves
Claude, the head of the Mwala militia group, said his fighters are paid between $100 and $150 a month to provide security at the village's artisanal gold mine.
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fighters → say → mine
"I joined the wazalendo self-defence force to defend my country," Claude said.
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Claude → join → country
He said he had been "at the front several times", while some of his fighters spoke of fighting in Minembwe, where some of the most intense clashes between government and M23 forces have taken place in recent months.
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some → say → months
But residents of Mwala told AFP by phone that they mainly encounter the militiamen as a source of pressure and extortion.
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they → tell → pressure
From bows and arrows to machine guns
The transformation of the militias is visible in the weapons they now carry.
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they → carry → weapons
The Mwala militia operates from a collection of huts made from wood and foliage in dry scrubland.
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militia → operate → scrubland
Young fighters pose with assault rifles when cameras arrive.
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cameras → pose → rifles
Claude said the fighters had little support despite being involved in the conflict.
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fighters → say → conflict
"We're hungry, we sleep badly, we buy the weapons and ammunition ourselves, all these efforts are ignored by our authorities," Claude said.
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Claude → sleep → authorities
Tanganyika is still dealing with the legacy of a violent conflict between Pygmy and Bantu communities that killed thousands between 2013 and 2019.
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that → deal → 2013
Some militias have since been formally incorporated as auxiliaries of the Congolese army and are undergoing military training.
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militias → incorporate → training
Others, like Claude's group, have simply declared themselves "wazalendo".
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Others → declare → group
The return of large quantities of weapons has changed the character of the militias.
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return → change → militias
Where village fighters once carried bows and arrows, several security and local sources say they now possess Cold War-era machine guns and even rocket launchers.
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they → carry → guns
Tresor Ngabo, representative of the national disarmament and reintegration programme in Tanganyika, said the development was particularly concerning because large sums of money had already been spent trying to end the region's earlier conflict.
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sums → say → conflict
"A lot of money has really been injected here since 2015 to put an end to the conflict.
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lot → inject → conflict
Unfortunately, the war against the M23 broke out," Ngabo said.
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Ngabo → break → M23
Although the intercommunal violence ended seven years ago, he warned that conflicts had not disappeared.
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conflicts → end → ?
"conflicts persist, but this time these people are well armed, and if there are new clashes, it will be chaotic," Ngabo warned.
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Ngabo → persist → ?
Gold mines become a source of militia income
The militias' influence is not limited to carrying weapons or fighting.
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influence → become → weapons
They have also found ways to profit from the economic activity taking place in their territory.
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They → find → territory
Chinese companies operate several mining operations in southeastern DRC, where the country's mineral wealth has attracted substantial foreign investment.
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wealth → operate → investment
In Mwala, the militia provides security at an artisanal gold mine operated by a Chinese company.
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militia → provide → company
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
