CNDP+and+General+Nkunda

In 1994, Hutu extremists attempted to exterminate the Tutsi community in pursuit of power. In the short time span of 100 days, 800,000 people died in what is known as, the Rwandan Genocide. Most were Tutsi but Hutu political moderates were also among the dead. Two million refugees fled into the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to escape the violence. Those responsible for the genocide also fled into the DRC causing the formation of the CNDP a political armed militia and the Mai Mai, a militia that was formed from various townships to protect themselves from the Violence. Although the genocide officially ended that July, violence, conflict and instability still remains. Eastern DRC is undergoing a humanitarian crisis with 250,000 people still displaced. Both armies from rebel groups and the DRC government have been accused of raping women, and killing civilians. Because of the presence of rebel groups, judges have fled and there is no official national law system. The UN is trying to resolve the crisis and has temporarily placed 17,000 soldiers in the area.

The National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), a militia group stationed in Rwanda, claims to be protecting the Tutsi community from Hutu rebels in the DRC. The group opposes the DRC government that sympathizes with the Hutu community and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a Hutu rebel group (stationed in the DRC). The CNDP have commited rape and attacks on numerous villages. The attacks have been harmful to the DRC economy (which is not that strong to begin with). The CNDP has been attacking mines which are major source of wealth for the DRC, and, if exploited, could bring the country vast amounts of wealth. The CNDP is causing this to become an even harder reality to reach by attacking mines. The rebel group was created and led by General Laurent Nkunda, who has been charged with serval war crimes by the DRC government. He sees himself as the liberator of the Tutsi community. At the end of the Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War, in 2003 he was offered a position in the army of the transitional government. He refused. He feared being captured and detained by the international Criminal Court. In January 2009 General Nkunda was caught and is still beening detained by the Rwandan government although the DRC governement has demanded he be handed over to them. The CNDP has since signed a peace treaty that will allow it to enter the government as a political party in exchange for releasing its captives