Mai-Mai
![Mai-Mai fighters surrendering their weapons to United Nations personnel in Northern Katanga, 2006.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Mai_Mai_Katanga.jpg)
The name comes from the Swahili word for water, "maji". Militia members sprinkle themselves with water to protect themselves from bullets.
Mai-Mai were particularly active in the eastern Congolese provinces bordering Rwanda, North Kivu and South Kivu (the "Kivus"), which were under the control of the Rwanda-allied Banyamulenge-dominated rebel faction, the Congolese Rally for Democracy–Goma (RCD-Goma) during the Second Congo War. While militias have long been common in the Kivus, particularly among the minority Batembo and Babembe ethnic groups, the recent wars and conflicts caused large numbers of town dwellers to form Mai-Mai. Although the Mai-Mai, either as a group or as individual groups, were not party to the 1999 Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, which was meant to end the Second Congo War, they remained one of the most powerful forces in the conflict, and the lack of co-operation from some groups has been problematic for the peace process. Provided by Wikipedia
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6by Wei Lim Chong, Koollawat Chupradit, Sek Peng Chin, Mai Mai Khoo, Sook Mei Khor, Chatchai Tayapiwatana, Piyarat Nimmanpipug, Weeraya Thongkum, Vannajan Sanghiran LeeGet full text
Published 2021-09-01
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