Search
  1. Home
  2. Africa
  3. DRC

Pay attention to washed-up rebels

Two members of the LRA, Rikwangba, Sudan, April 2007. Voxcom/IRIN
    NAIROBI

    The Allied Democratic Forces/National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF/NALU) may be a has-been rebel group that was only ever a minor player in the Great Lakes miasma, but close examination of precisely why it threw in the towel could help efforts to end the wider, multi-faceted conflict there.



    According to Jamila El Abdellaoui, Senior Researcher, Conflict Prevention Programme, even groups whose threat seems negligible when compared with that of the Lord’s Resistance Army or the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda “collectively contribute to continued instability and proliferation of arms”.



    The ADF/NALU, which only has an estimated 1,300 fighters, began preliminary peace talks in DRC in August 2009, and demobilization plans are being drawn up.



    “In recognition of the myriad issues causing, triggering and sustaining these movements, it would be important to analyze the circumstances that led ADF/NALU to seek a peaceful way to formally end its armed opposition. Lessons learned from this process may prove valuable for dealing with the other smaller movements in the region, which will contribute to a comprehensive approach towards bringing stability to the Great Lakes Region,” El Abdellaoui wrote in an article, Cleaning out the Closet: Armed groups in the Great Lakes Region.



    am/mw

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join