Early life Yusufu Eric Mboneza He had one relative, Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, who also became a militant. In the
Second Congo War, Mboneza served in the
Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD). In course of the
Kivu conflict, he eventually joined the
National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), becoming a major and commander of the CNDP's 4th Battalion. On 9 March 2007, rebels who probably belonged to Mboneza's unit murdered Richard Bemeriki, priest of the Jomba parish church in
Rutshuru Territory. When the CNDP fractured in 2009, Mboneza sided with CNDP leader
Laurent Nkunda alongside several other officers including
Sultani Makenga. The CNDP eventually agreed to a peace deal and integrated its forces into the
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). Mboneza was appointed
lieutenant colonel and commander of the FARDC's 212th Brigade, based at
Walikale. However, he retained considerable autonomy, and factually ruled the Mubi-Ndjingala axis to profit from local mining operations. Under his command, the 212th Brigade imposed illegal taxes on civilians working at the
Bisie mine, making tens of thousands of dollars per month. In July 2010 insurgents belonging to
Mai-Mai Sheka and
FDLR raided
Kilambo. Mboneza refused to engage the enemy, and retreated with his loyal troops, leaving Colonel
Chuma Balumisa's soldiers to face the rebels alone. Later, the FARDC ordered the 212th Brigade's redeployment to the
Kibua-Mpofi axis. However, Mboneza refused to follow this order as well, arguing that this would mean insufficient profits for his forces. In response, he was arrested on 12 August 2010. Mboneza was charged with insubordination, refusing to obey an order, and for his previous inaction during the Kilambo attack. However, 50 FARDC (ex-CNDP) troops subsequently surrounded the military prosecutor's office in
Goma where Mboneza was held, forcing the lieutenant colonel's release. After this incident, the FARDC decided to punish Mboneza with a disciplinary sanction of 14-day-suspension and his transfer to
South Kivu. He was later promoted to
colonel and moved to head the FARDC's 808th Regiment in
Beni,
North Kivu.
Career in M23 Ex-CNDP troops in the FARDC, dissatisfied with the conditions of their service, organized the
March 23 Movement (M23) in 2012. In August 2013, the United States and France submitted a request to the United Nations, stating that Mboneza should be sanctioned for human rights violations.
Human Rights Watch accused him of having ordered the unlawful execution of a 24-year-old man for alleged thievery. In March 2022, Makenga's group launched
a larger offensive, eventually supported by other M23 factions, and retook some territory in North Kivu. ==Notes==