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Death of Mamadou: DRC’s warrior leader

Colonel Mamadou Ndala, who led the fight against M23 rebels in DR Congo, was killed on January 2.

Colonel Mamadou Ndala of the Congolese armed forces was widely hailed as a hero in the east of the country - where citizens have traditionally been wary of the national army.
By Phil Moore
Published On 6 Jan 2014

Heroes are rare in this world, and particularly in eastern Congo. Here, myriad armed groups terrorise villagers while the Congolese national army has historically proved ineffective in protecting civilians. Many locals consider the army just another dangerous armed group.

One commander, however, shone through. Colonel Mamadou Ndala headed the 42nd Battalion Commandos. His troops were on the frontline, fighting M23 rebels – who were pushed back in July 2013 for the first time since their rebellion began the previous year. By October, they had been ousted from Goma, a major city in the region, and were pushed up to the Ugandan border.

Mamadou, as he was known to everyone, stood with his men at the front. As shells whistled overhead, he would be issuing orders into a walkie-talkie or mobile phone, seemingly oblivious to the cracks of gunfire or the impact of mortars all around. And he instilled discipline in his soldiers; any infraction would be met with swift punishment. His unit were not feared by civilians, but respected.

When mobs took to the streets of Goma to protest what they perceived as the uselessness of United Nations peacekeepers, the colonel stepped out of his car and confronted the crowds. He was met with chants of “Ma-ma-dou”, and, having calmed the mob, left amid cheers and applause.

On January 2, 2014, while travelling in a convoy in the province’s “Great North”, a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle. It killed the colonel and several of his unit. Attributed to the ADF-NALU rebel group in the region, the attack has also fomented rumours of assassination by the regime itself.

Crowds of civilians took to the streets to demonstrate against his death, but this time, he would not be there to pacify them.

He stood tall on the battlefield, commanding his troops from the front.
The 42nd Battalion Commandos played a major role in the military defeat of M23 rebels, pushing them back from the outskirts of Goma to the Ugandan border.
Col Mamadou organises his men on the frontline of the fight against M23 rebels, hidden less than 50m away through the trees.
As well as being a successful military commander, he indirectly played a major role in maintaining civil order in Goma during tense times.
When mobs rioted in Goma against the perceived weakness of UN peacekeepers stationed there, the colonel took to the streets himself to calm the situation.
He was close to the people, and was always received with chants of support whenever seen in public.
Col Mamadou celebrates the recapture of Bunagana on October 30, 2013. Situated on the Ugandan border, it was the last bastion of M23 rebels.
Col Mamadou walks through Bunagana immediately after its recapture, as local residents return to their homes.
Having fled the fighting, hundreds of people rushed back in to Bunagana to laud the national army and to return home.
Col Mamadou travels in a pick-up truck laden with his fellow soldiers. He was travelling in a similar way when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the vehicle near Beni, killing him, on January 2.
Mamadou(***)s life was seen as a rare glimmer of hope in Congo(***)s conflict-ridden east. His death was mourned by thousands across the restive country.
Hundreds of people hit the streets of Beni, in the country(***)s east, to protest against the attack which killed Mamadou.