The UN Mission in the Congo (MONUSCO) and the DRC government, are seeking support of the Mai Mai militia in North Kivu to help defeat the M23 rebels.
Media reports say a three-member delegation of MONUSCO official, a Congolese parliamentarian, and army official met the leader of the militia group this week.
Mai Mai is a tribal militia based in North Kivu in eastern DRC and is known for its aversion to Kinyarwanda speaking Congolese.
Speaking after their meeting, the militia leader, Janvier Karairi, said two MONUSCO helicopters landed on the football field of the village, carrying MP Mwami Bahati, who is also a tribal chief, a UN representative and the deputy commander of the military zone in North-Kivu province, according to AFP.
"They came to ask me to form an alliance with the army to fight M23," Karairi told AFP from his base in Nord-Kivu province north of the provincial capital Goma.
Karairi, who boasts of 4,500 men under his command, claims that the government came begging for his help in defeating what he called "a Tutsi rebellion."
His militia's base range of operations neighbours an area conquered to the north and northwest of Goma, by rebels of M23, a force of mutineers who deserted from the army in April.
In 2004, Karairi told AFP, he accepted a government offer to join the FARDC, during integration but when an ethnic Tutsi colonel was placed in command of his unit, he left with his men.
"The enemy of the APLCS is he who accepts the invasion of the Congo by Rwanda, Uganda or Burundi," he told the French news agency, stressing that he was firmly "anti-Tutsi".
APCLS is an acronym for Alliance of the People for a Free and Sovereign Congo.
Karairi added that he agreed to offer support on condition that his men not be mingled with those of FARDC "because they have M23 people within their ranks."
"We want our own line of attack," he explained, adding that he had asked the army for weapons and equipment.
In the interview, the militia head denies any contact with Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia which hides out in the forests of eastern Congo and is seen as a constant cross-border threat to Rwanda.
"The FDLR is the business of the United Nations," Karairi said. "It's up to them to do everything possible to make the FDLR return home."
But on the road back from the base, AFP journalists report, two armed men in civilian clothes tried to hide when the car approached.
"They're FDLR," an APCLS fighter who was escorting the journalists said.
Mai Mai are ideological cousins of FDLR and have previously fought alongside each other. They are united with one mission; wanton mass killings and other crimes against humanity according to observers.
This newspaper's efforts to get a comment from DRC government spokesman Lambert Mende were futile as his known mobile phone was persistently on voicemail.
Who are the Mai Mai?
The Mai Mai of DRC may not be as militarily or politically significant as other armed groups in the region, but they have been very active for years.
Their patterns of child soldier recruitment and use has significantly impacted negatively on the peace process in DRC. They have raped, massacred and looted, among other ugly practices.
In the process they exploit the wars for their own advantage by looting, cattle rustling or banditry.
The Mai Mai is composed of several groups, including the Mai-Mai Yakutumba, Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki (in Shabunda), Mai-Mai Nyakiliba (Mwenga), Mai-Mai Fujo (Uvira), Mai-Mai Kirikicho (Kalehe), Mai-Mai Resistance Nationale Congolaise (Kabare).
Mai Mai is made up of traditional fighters and its fierce reputation is based largely on their beliefs and practices.
They believe they can dodge bullets if their hair is styled a certain way and sprinkle themselves with sacred water before battle.
Patrick Borama, 26, describes the attacks by the Mai Mai that killed his mother, pregnant sister and two nephews, along with 20 other fellow residents in Marembo village on 14 and 15 May.
"Before the attacks we heard rumours of the attack. On the [first] day of the attack, we saw it was people speaking Swahili wearing clothes made from raffia, nearly naked," he said.
Borama could not say how many men they were, but other witnesses report groups of 10-40. Borama said they attacked with machetes, spears and axes, as well as some Kalashnikovs; he said they shouted out their intention to kill anyone who speaks Kinyarwanda.
His case is a drop in an ocean of tales from those who have suffered the brutality and ruthlessness of the Mai-Mai.
Back in 1997, more than 100 Congolese Tutsi people were killed during Mai Mai attack in Masisi area.
In 1999, FDLR and Mai Mai militias organised an attack on the Congolese Tutsi community and killed hundreds of them.
The Mai-Mai oppose everything, including wildlife; in May 2007, Mai Mai killed two wildlife officers in Virunga National Park and nine mountain gorillas, with the use of machetes, and automatic weapons.
In August 2010, three Indian UN soldiers were killed by Mai-Mai rebels in a surprise attack on a MONUSCO base in Kirumba, Nord-Kivu and on 23 October, Mai-Mai rebels attacked a MONUSCO base in Rwindi (30 km north of Kirumba). UN troops killed eight of them in the battle.
In late 2011, the Mai-Mai killed close to one hundred people and burned several villages to the ground in northeast Shabunda and in January 2012, over 50 civilians were reportedly killed by the same militias.
Just recently, in May 2012, more than 100 people were killed and thousands displaced in ethnically motivated massacres by the same militias.
Bigembe Turikunkiko, the sector chief of Katoyi in North Kivu's Masisi territory, has recorded the details of 120 people, primarily women and children, who were killed in 12 village massacres carried out between 17 and 22 May in Katoyi and its environs.
The DRC's police commissioner in Katoyi, Capt Lofimbo Raheli, recently told journalists that the attacks were carried out by a coalition of two Mai-Mai groups: the Raia Mutomboki, until this year only operational in South Kivu, and the Mai-Mai Kifuafua.
According to Raheli, the Mai-Mai alliance is believed to be operating as a collective of smaller groups targeting speakers of Kinyarwanda.
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ALL THESE MURDERS AND ATTROCITIES , ARE LEFT RESIDUE OF THE PRACTICES OF WHITES WHEN THEY FORCED THEIR BRUTAL COLONIALISM AND THIER ENSLAVEMENT OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE. TODAY WHEN WE HEAR OF THESE THINSG WE ACT AS IF THIS IS SOME PHENOMENAM WHEN THE REALITY IS THAT THESE ACTORS ARE JUST REINACTING WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED FROM A DYSFUNCTIONAL WAR MONGERING WEST WHO HAS BEEN; ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, THE MOST BARBARIC MURDEROUS HEINOUS OF ALL PROTAGONIST. THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM IS DASTARDLY THERE IS JUST NO COMPARATIVE NARRATIVE TO ASSOCIATE WHERE THIER BRABARITY BEGAN . AFRICANS TRULY NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF THESE TRIBALISMS THAT WERE FROCED FED IN TO THE PSCYE OF AFRICANS OVER THE PAST FIVE CENTURIES. IN ORDER FOR WHITES TO HAVE RULED WITH SUCH LONGEVITY SUCH A VAST AREA (AFRICA)THEY HAD TO INCORPORATE THE DIVIDE AND CONQUOR POLICY, WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN USING WITH SUCCESS FOR CENTURIES. AFRICANS MUST NOT BE DISMAYED BY WHAT WE SEE ,THESE ARE TRANSPOSED SYMPTOMS OF A GREEDY DYSFUNCTIONAL WEST WHO IS MERELY WATCHING THIER HANDI WORKS IN AFRICA. WHAT EVER POLICIES WE SEE IN AFRICA IS ALL DONW TO WHITE AGGRESSION WHITE MISRULE WHITE ATTROCTIES WHITE APATHY . THE FACT IS THAT WHITES HAVE DIMINISHED THE WORTH OF BLACK LIVES AS NEXT TO NILL. WHEN WE SAW THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE THE AMERICANS WENT IN WITH MILITARISM WHILE THE UN WHO WAS STATIONED THERE FOR DECADES DID NOTHING TO HELP THE PEOPLE. IN THESE MODERN TIMES FROM NATURAL DISASTERS TO RESCUE ONLY 138 PEOPLE IN AN ESTIMATED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES LOST IS COMPELLING FAILURE. IT SHOWS THAT BLACK LIVE IS STILL INSIGNIFCANT IT SHOWS THAQT WESTERN MEDIA IS ONLY THERE FOR SENSASTIONALISM THEY MISREPORT FACTS . FACTS ARE NOT PART AND PARCEL OF WESTERN MEDIA HOUSES THEY SAFE GUARD NO INTEGRITY THEY SHOW NO HUMAN CONPUNCTIONS. THEY ARE DIABOLICAL HEINOUS IGNOBLE LIARS AND FALSE PRACTIONERS OF TRUTH. WHAT WE MUST ASSESS AS AFRICANS IF WE DO NOT COME TO SOEM REALITY AND REALISE THAT YOUR BLACK SKINNED NEIGHBOUR IS NOT YOUR ENEMY BUT YORU BEST FREIND AFRICA WILL REVERSE ITSELF FROM THESE TRIBAL CONFLICTS THAT WERE SEWN AND SEEDED BY WHITE IMPERIALIST WHOSE ONLY DESIRES WERE TO ROB THE ORDINARY PEOPLE OF THIER WEALTH. WHAT THEY DID IN THE VONGO REGION WENT BEYONG GHENOCIDE HOLOUCAST. THEY MUYRDERED BGURNED TORTURED LYNCHED QUARTERED AFRICANS WITH SOME OF THE EARTHS MOST DIABOLICAL METHODS OF INHUMANE ATTRITION TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE EWALTH OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE. WHAT THE WHITES DID IN AFRICA WASS TO DESTROY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE MURDERING THE INTELLECTUAL CLASS DISRUPTING ANY TYPE OF LEADERTSHIP RENAMING THOSE WHO WER LOYAL TO THEM WITH TITLES OF CHIEFS KING WHEN POSIBLE. AFRICA IS STILL REELING FROM THE SLAVE AND RESOURCE PLUNDER AND RAPE BY WHITES. WHITES TRY TO MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK GOOD BY SAYING B;LACKS WERE ALSO SELLING SLAVE. THE WORLD THEN HAD NO USCH WORDING AS SLAVE THESE ARE WORDS THAT EPITOMISES THE DASTRDLY DESTRUCTIVE CHATTEL SLAVERY THAT WAS INVENTED PRACTICES BY WHITES. THERE IS NO AFRICAN THAT EVER ENGAGED IN CHATTEL SLAVERY THIS IS A EUROPEAN PHENOMENAM THAT WAS INVENTED BY WHITES TO DISINHERIT THEM FROM THIER RICHES THAT WERE THIERS SINCE TIME IMMORTAL. THESE WERE GIFTS THAT WERE BESTOWED UPON BLACKS THE FIRTS PEOPLE OF THE PLANET BY THIER "CREATOR AND LORD THE SUPRME BEING THE ALL MIGHTY GOD" THE TEACHINGS OF TEH BLACK MAN WAS PEACE THIS WAS WHY WE SAW THE DEFEAT OF THE MEDITERANEAN CITIES BY BLACKS THEY ABANDONED CITIES ENMASEE FOR FEAR OF THE BARBARINAS WHO EVENTUALLY TOOK POSSESSIONS OF THESE EMPTY CITIES. ANOTHER THING WE MUST KNOW IS THAT IN ORDER FOR AFRICA TO GROW WE NEED INTELLIGENT INFORMATION TECHNOLGIES THAT WILL ENABLE AFRICANS TO STAY FOCUSED IN DEVELOPING THIER OWN MINES REFINING THIER OWN OIL AND DISTRIBUTING THIER RICHES TO THE WROLD AS THEY DID PRIOR TO WHITE MISRTULE AND INTRUSUIIN ON THE CONTINENT. WE MUST NOT LOOK AT AFRICANS TO HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR NON EDUCATION WE MUST LOOK TO THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARFE SO CLEVER THAT HAVE FORCED NON EDUCATION ON UNDERDEVELOPMENT ON AFRICANS WE MUST LOOK AT THE WHOLE PIE AND NOT BE SELECTIVE OF THESE CONFLICTS THAT ARE INBRED WITH THE PROCESSES OF WESTERN CULTURES THAT WERE FROCED UPON AFRICANS. LET US REMEBER THAT THEY TOOK OUT RESPONSIBL;E LEADERSHIP IN AFRICA TO MAKE A MORE INFERIOR CLASS OF PEOPLE INSTILLING THIER JESUS STOIRES THAT POTRAYS THEM AS BEING SUPRMEE BEINGS ; THIS WAS NOTHING MORE THAT BLASPHEMEING HYPOCIRSY DESTINED FOR THE DEPTHS OF THE FIRE. WE NEED TO SEEK PEACE THRUOUT THE CONGO REGION WITH THE DIEAS OF ETHNICITY BISCREDITED AS IT LEADS TO CONFLICT DISTABILISATIONS UNDERDEVELOPMENT ANDN THE LOSS OF TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF REVUNES THAT IS YOURS. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE BNEST FOR AFRICANS TO STOP WORKING FOR THESE MINES ALLOWING THEM TO CLOSE UNTILKE YOU ARE GUARANTEED THAT YOU WILL ASSUME FULL CONTROL AFTER USCH A PERIOD THAT THEY CAN NOT HAVE PERPETUAL HOLD OVER WHQAT IS LEGALY YOURS. THEY CAN NOT COME INTO AFRICA AND OWN ANYTHING THEY MAY COME AS PARTNERS WHERE THE MAJOURITY IS STIL WITH THE NATIONS PEOPLE. THEY MUST CONTRIBUTE TO THE UPLIFTMENT OF THE POPULOUS BY TEACHING THEM THE RESOUCE TECHNOLOGY THEY MUST EDUCATE A CEO CLASS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEY MUST EDUCATE MIDDLE MANAGEMNET AND THEY MSUT BUILD PAVED ROADS RAIL WAYS SCHOLS HOSPITALS INFRASTRUCTURE MUST BE PART OF ANY DFEAL WITH MINE OR RESOUCRE EXTRCATORS. AFRICANS MUST LEARN THE TECHNIQUES HOW TO MINE EFFECTIVELY THIS MEANS SEARCHING FOR THE RESOURCES THEY MUST LEARN EXTRACTION MEHTODOLOGIES AND THEY MUST HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER THE WAY THE RESOUCES ARE DISTRIBUTED . AFRICANS MUST NOT BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED THE WEAKE MUST NOW STAND UP AND DEMAND EDUCATION THIS SI THE ONLY WAY FORWARD. THEY HAVE ALREDAY USED AFRICANS TO BUILD THIER CITIES THIER TONWS WITH FREE LABOUR THEY NOW MUST PAY FOR THE RIGHT TO COME INTO AFRICA TO ASSUME ANY ACCESS TO ALL TECHNOLOGIES DEALING WITH ALL RESOURCE EXTRACTION AND FINDINGS , THIS SI WHYT THE AFRICAN WANTS TODAY. AFRICANS DO NOT NEED GUNS THEY NEED TRACTORS MODERN FARMING METHODS TO EXPAND ON THIER FOOD HARVESTING .LET US BE CLEAR WHEN YOU ARE BUSY FIGTHING WHEN LITTLE BOYS ARE BEING SODLIERS IJ STILLED WITH FOOLISHNES INSTEAD OF LEARNING HOW TO BE BUSINESS EPOLE OR MEDICAL PEOPLE INVENTORS WHAT SO EVER THE FIELD OUTSIDE THE CONFILCT ZONE THEN THIS WHAT AFRICAN NEEDS. THE IDEA THAT AFRICANS MUST STAY EMBROILED IN CIVIL CONFLICT FO ETERNITY IS MADNESS. WE MUST BREAK THGE CYCLE WHICH IS THE WESTERN IDEOLOGIES FO WARS CONFGUSION CHAOSTHESE ARE THIER CONCEPTS IT IS TIME TO ABAONDON THESE FALSE DOCTRINES GIVING PRAISES O THE DEVIL DAILY THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU PERSIST IN TAKING AWAY THE LIVES OF OTHER HUMAN BEINGS . THERE IS NO NEED UNDER THE SUN FOR THIER TO BE MUCH HOSTILITY AND CONFLICT JUST NO NEED FOR IT. THIS IS IGNORANT SAVAGE UNREFINED AND WAS NOT PART OF THE CULTURE OF THE " MOST HIGH GOD" CREATION IS CONTINUING WORK IN PROGRES ITS IS DEVLOPMENT RERACHING TO HIGHER HEIGHST WHEN WE LOW DOWN THE WITH WAR CONFLICTS ITS IS UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND IT ONLY BENIFTS THOSE WHO WANT TO ENSLAVE YOU. THEY MAKE GUNS MISSILES WEAPONS ALL FOR MUDERS DEATHD ESTRUCTION NOTHING VAAILABLE TO YOU FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF LIFE; YOU MUST QUESTION THESE THINGS>> LIFE IS OURS FOR ETERNITY AS LONG AS WE DO WHAT IS MOST RIGHTEOUSS AND HONNERABLE WE MUST REACH FOR THE HIGHER HEIGHTS FO WIZE INTELLECT, WITH LIVITY AS FUNDAMENTAL PIRNCIPLE. DEATH IS THE RANTINGS OF THE DEVIL HE SEEKS TO UTILSE THE SOULS OF THE MUCH BLOOD THAT HEDESIRES TO DAILY TO MAKE HIM FUNCTIONAL. THE EARTH IS EBING DECEIVED BY A MASTER TRCIKSTER AND CON MAN WE MUST NOT LOOK TO FOLLOW THE PATH TO DESTRUCTION. LIFE IS WORTH MUCH MORE THAN WHAT EVER IT IS THEY VALUE SO MUCH. THINK AGAIN I SAY TO YOU THERE IS LIFE FOR EVER MORE IF YOU WALK THE PATH OF THE UPRIGHT MUST SEEK "THE THRONE OF THE ALLMIGHTY GOD" " HE ALONE IS KING" AND YOU WILL FIND PARADISE AT THE END OF YOUR SEARCH!!!
Amen and amen, brother. You said it all.
"Comfirmed sources"? Let me guess, the rwandan propagandists? The Hutus, the Tutsis, the blah blah blahs...they're all rwandans and they're all killing, raping and chasing Congolese from Congo. This cancer needs to be stopped.
First off, Mai Mais were formed by True Congolese Patriots to fight rwandan invasion a little over 15 years ago, not to be confused with the rwandans who intend to creat confusion by forming rebel groups and calling the mai mai too. The True Patriots have been asking for the government support for over 14 years, but these greedy bastards in Kinshasa thought that the Mai Mais would turn against them once they get rid of rwandans so Kinshasa prefered making a deal with rwandans instead, which was a big mistake because rwandans kept asking for more and the results are over 5 millions deaths caused by rwandans, hundreds thousand of women and children raped by the rwandans and millions more lives ruined. Now, it's about time that we get back to the basics which is, support the True Congolese Patriots so we can rid Congo of this cancer from rwanda by any means necessary.
What a shame on MONUSCO!How can they go so low? I Really agree with one commentator up here.So all this 13 years they have been around that's what they have been doing.Look, from confirmed sources I know very well that this APCLS MAI MAI are full of FDLR INTERAHAMWE who have been fleeing the attacks of an other local militia called RAIA MUTOMBOKI in the neighboring Walikale territory.Their Commander Janvier MURAIRI is an extremist anti rwandophone congolese. Ooh shame on you Monusco and UN...