Union of the Congolese patriots

The Union of the Congolese patriots ( UPC ) is a rebel movement Congo alluvium, directed by Thomas Lubanga and mainly made up of the ethnos group of the Hema S.

UPC, near to the government Rwanda is, is implied in the war which is held in the province of Ituri (Democratic republic of Congo), and which opposes it to the Front nationalists integrationists (FNI), composed of population Lendu. The January 7th 2003, it forms an alliance with the Congolese Rassemblement for the Democracy and engages against the Angola. Since, the engagements make rage for the control of the town of Bunia.

UPC is shown to use child-soldiers in its troops. In 2002, it and its allies would have perpetrated a massacre of several hundreds of people, in Songolo.

The June 10th 2003, the French Army (operation “Artémis”), under mandate of the United Nations, settled there. A process of disarmament is in hand. The February 25th 2005, nine soldiers Bengali (blue helmets) are killed in Bunia. UPC and the FNI deny any implication. The March 19th 2005, Thomas Lubanga is stopped by the Congolese government, after the arrest of other leaders of militia. While its “national president” is in prison with Kinshasa, John Tinazabu, the general secretary, directs the movement.

Thomas Lubanga was transferred on March 17th, 2006 from Kinshasa to $the Hague in order to appear before the International penal court (CPI).

See too

External bonds

Thomas Lubanga, chief of the militia “Union of the Congolese Patriots” of Ituri for the International penal court of justice of $the Hague, March 18th, 2006

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