CRP/FRP of Thomas Lubanga struggles to gain armed group support in Ituri

The Convention for the Popular Revolution/Peoples’ Revolutionary Forces (CRP/FRP), led by former International Criminal Court (ICC) convict Thomas Lubanga, continues to face significant hurdles in rallying broad backing from armed factions and local communities in Ituri, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to the latest United Nations Group of Experts report on the DRC, the CRP/FRP, officially established on January 10, 2025, has maintained an anti-government stance while advocating for regional autonomy. Though Lubanga publicly endorsed the Allied Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFC/M23) in July 2025, no formal cooperation between the two groups has been recorded as of the report’s publication.

Leadership and Recruitment Challenges

The CRP/FRP’s leadership includes former warlords, political figures, and local leaders from Ituri, many of whom reside in exile in Uganda, where some are registered as refugees. The group is currently led by Lobho Gokpa Justin, a former colonel in the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC).

Internal divisions have weakened the movement’s cohesion. A wave of defections among top officials has further destabilized its structure. As of November 2025, the CRP/FRP’s ranks numbered around 300 fighters, but by the time of the report’s drafting, this figure had surged to nearly 1,000. Recruitment efforts have primarily targeted the G5 community, with a majority of fighters hailing from the Hema ethnic group, including former members of the Zaïre group. Additional recruits have been drawn from displacement camps in Ituri and refugee settlements in Uganda.

Innocent Kaina, a sanctioned figure, has collaborated with the CRP/FRP since January 2026, enlisting individuals from Ugandan refugee camps, including former M23 combatants. Despite these efforts, the movement has failed to secure substantial support from other armed groups or Ituri’s communities. Notably, attempts to recruit young Lendu individuals have yielded minimal results.

CRP/FRP’s Political and Security Objectives

The CRP/FRP, founded by Lubanga after his 2020 release from ICC custody, positions itself as a vehicle for change amid what it describes as systemic failures in governance, including corruption, kleptocracy, and tribalism. The group criticizes the state’s inability to ensure security, citing years of violence in Ituri that have resulted in thousands of deaths, mass displacements, and widespread human rights abuses.

Lubanga, convicted in 2012 for war crimes involving the conscription of child soldiers, served 14 years before his release. Following his release, he participated in a presidential task force aimed at promoting peace in Ituri. However, these efforts did not yield the expected outcomes, and his subsequent bid for a parliamentary seat in Ituri was invalidated.

The CRP/FRP’s struggle to gain traction underscores the complex dynamics of armed group alliances and the challenges of consolidating power in a region plagued by instability and competing factions.