Mai Mai Want To Control Resources Of course they do. All these rebel groups seek to enrich themselves. That's why TTX needs a definitive security plan.
Understanding the accusations against Gedeon
Colonel Kabonde as well as members of the Emmanuel Moise Mai Mai group both believe that Gedeon and his men have committed acts of cannibalism. They attribute it to his days near Malemba Nkulu, where cannibalism is thought to be a tribal practice. But where they differ is that while the Moise group feels the cannibalism is a daily threat with nearly a hundred men or women killed and eaten, Kabonde believes that Gedeon's acts of cannibalism are few and far between.
"I think he did practice cannibalism at the same time that he sought his fetishes in the area of Malemba Nkulu, but to say that he uses this now as an act of war is an exaggeration," says Kabonde. "This is being used to scare the population and MONUC. The local authorities and the battalion commander want to keep the area insecure," says the Colonel. "This way they can use force and take that area under their control administratively. Now it is under Piana, but if the battalion from Manono goes in to secure Kahongo, however, it will have to be administered from Manono."
But to what advantage? One explanation given by Colonel Kabonde suggests that the availability of rich natural resources in the Kahongo area interests local authorities and military. By controlling the area they would have access to rich mineral resources. Citing the villages of Kabombo and Kishali where there are already mines, the Colonel says the area is full of such minerals as gold, silver, cobalt, coltan and agate. So if one assumes that the local authorities are aiming to cash-in on natural resources, it is understandable that there would be an intimidation of MONUC and NGOs so that they would not enter the area of Kahongo.