Kabila’s

Eastern Allies

Jan 2001 – 8’31”

01.02
Voice-over/VO
(night)
By the light of the moon
Mayi Mayi fighters sing
their war songs.
Many people call them
Forces of Darkness, as they are said to work closely with Hutu extremists from Rwanda.

01.25
(exercise)
The bush in Kivu province in volatile Eastern Congo is
the natural habitat of the Mayi Mayi.
They are not a tribe,
they are a self-defence movement
of the local people. Like all stories in this region, theirs is a complex one.

02.06
(Tilt from head to hands and shoe)
Commander Zofi has liberated
a dozen villages
from occupying Rwandan troops.
He belongs
to the new generation
of Mayi Mayi commanders, who were fiercely loyal to the government of Laurent Kabila.

02.24
Quote
Title/ Commander Zofi, in Musombosi:
We'll never separate from the government of Mzee Kabila, even if it is very far away from us and we are living in the bush - we'll continue to follow the instructions of his army and his own instructions completely, until the final victory, until victory is certain.

02.53
VO/
(under umbrella)
These commanders
fought for Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first prime minister
who was assassinated
shortly after Independence.

At this time, they got to know
Laurent Kabila.

03.06
Quote
Title / Colonel Dunia Lwendama, in Kilembwe :
I started my work in 1964 during the events of Independence, who achieved by Lumumba. Mzee Kabila then brought us together in the forest of Hewabora. There he taught us about politics and the art of war. I'm using these lessons now. They permit me to fight for the liberation of Kivu province and the whole of Congo.

03.51
VO/
(radio)
Once, the Mayi Mayi and
Kabila were friends.
Then, for a time,
they fought each other.
In 1996, Kabila marched into Congo
to overthrow the Mobutu dictatorship.
But among his allies
were the Banyamulenge,
long time enemies of the Mayi Mayi.
They followed a simple logic :
Kabila arrives with my enemy,
so he becomes my enemy.

Tribal differences overrode friendships made

during Kabila’s 30 years in the bush.

04.23
Quote
Title / Colonel Kayumba, in Lulimba :
Kabila was still negotiating in Kampala, but at the same time the Banyamulenge were assassinating our traditional chiefs, even when Kabila was still talking in Kampala....So, we fought against Kabila, even though I was one of his close friends, even I fought against him. Because he'd come with these Banyamulenge. But, as soon as he'd broken with the Banyamulenge, we've sided with him again and now we are absolutely on his side.

05.08

VO/
(mountain, walk)
Since '98 the alliances have changed again.
When president Kabila broke with Rwanda
and Uganda in July 98
his former allies invaded Congo.
Then the Mayi Mayi
deftly sided with Kabila
and joined his government army.
Today the Mayi Mayi resistance movement
controls large areas
in the South Kivu province.

05.39
Quote
Title / Colonel Dunia, in Kilembwe :
We've liberated the following zones : from Makobola to Nundu and on to Lweba, from Kananda to Lulimba and on to Kilembwe, from Lulimba to Ngalula and Nyangi, from Tanganyika - or Ubwari - to Wimbi-9. I've taken all these territories from the enemy, and with our attacks we continue to liberate the rest of this part of Congo.

06.38
VO/
(kid guitar)
Even if children can be heard singing in
South Kivu these days,
the people here have been
severely traumatised.
(mama-yee....
singing...)
06.51

Before the Mayi Mayi
took control,
the occupying foreign troops committed horrible
massacres here.
(voices...)
07.00

Refugees, who fled to Kinshasa, give their testimony.

07.12

Quote
Title / M. Kipoyo, refugee in Kinshasa :
I'm a victim of the war of the Tutsis, they hurt me, they took me, they cut off one ear and also my genitals. (...) The reason is that I'm a Bembe and Bembe always means Mayi Mayi.

07.34

Quote
Title / Mrs. Tunza, refugee in Kinshasa :
They drove all the people together and started to "sacrifice" them like goats. They took two young boys first. They said : close your eyes, lie down on the ground, on your belly. Then they started to kill the people. They cut their throats and even took their intestines.

08.05
VO
There are thousands of Mayi Mayi,
enough to have a dozen armed men
protecting each village – welcome security in these parts.

08.16
But the movement is poorly equipped and had constantly begged the government in Kinshasa for more supplies.

08.34
Quote
Title / Administrator Amisi Kalonda :
Our youth suffers a lot during and after combat. They have no medicine. We try to help as much as we can. But the government should do more to assist us. With communication equipment for instance.

09.08
VO
(singing in boat)
The Mayi Mayi strongly regret the death of
Laurent Kabila and wonder what
his successor will do.
But they are determined.
As long as their ancestors' soil is occupied,
their resistance movement will go on.

The new regime in Kinshasa

may do well to court their continued loyalty.

Script, image, interviews, edit : Raf Custers
Total Length : 8:31 MIN