Constant Ndima Kongba

Constant Ndima Kongba In the Second Congo War, Ndima joined the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) rebel group. He served as general and led the MLC's "Effacer le tableau" battalion, infamous for the ferocity and brutality of its troops. By 2001/2002, he was placed directly under General Amuli Bahigua, MLC chief of staff.

From 2002 to 2003, the MLC and other insurgent factions conducted Operation Effacer le tableau against another rebel group, RCD-K-ML; Ndima was one of the main commanders of the MLC troops involved in this campaign. Operation Effacer le tableau resulted in numerous massacres of civilians, including the genocidal mass slaughter of the Bambuti pygmies. After the Second Congo War's conclusion, Ndima and many other MLC members were integrated into the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). which covers the entire Kivu region, Maniema, and Tshopo. He was later promoted to FARDC Deputy Chief of General Staff in charge of administration and logistics.

From March 2022, Ndima had to deal with a new offensive by the M23 rebel group. In course of this offensive, Ndima condemned calls for violence and the mobilization of the civilian population, stating that the FARDC was responsible for combating the rebels. After M23 insurgents captured the town of Bunagana and reopened its economically important border post under their own administration, North Kivu's government under Ndima forbid the import and export of goods through rebel-held territory. Ndima declared that any trader who cooperated with the insurgents would be treated as a "fraudster, collaborator with the enemy". On 12 July 2022, Ndima passed direct responsibility of commanding the local security forces to Lieutenant General Philémon Yav Irung. He was replaced on an interim basis by Major General Peter Cirimwami on 19 September 2023.