Cleaning Out the Closet: Armed Groups in the Great Lakes Region

The document discusses the impact of 'negative forces' on stability in the Great Lakes Region, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While military force is often the preferred solution for groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the author highlights a mediation effort led by MONUC to repatriate the ADF/NALU coalition. The ADF/NALU, consisting of approximately 1,300 fighters (60% Congolese), emerged from Ugandan political and religious marginalisation and later operated from the DRC. The document argues that addressing these smaller, often 'inactive' groups is essential for regional stability, as they contribute to arms proliferation and resource exploitation despite lacking the strength to overthrow governments.

• The presence of 'negative forces' in the Great Lakes Region, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, is viewed by the African Union, the United Nations, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region as a primary obstacle to regional stability.

APA

Abdellaoui, J. E. (n.d.). Cleaning Out the Closet: Armed Groups in the Great Lakes Region. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cleaning-out-the-closet-armed-groups-in-the-great-lakes-region

Chicago

Abdellaoui, Jamila El. Cleaning Out the Closet: Armed Groups in the Great Lakes Region. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cleaning-out-the-closet-armed-groups-in-the-great-lakes-region.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abdellaoui |first1=Jamila El |title=Cleaning Out the Closet: Armed Groups in the Great Lakes Region |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cleaning-out-the-closet-armed-groups-in-the-great-lakes-region |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abdellaouindcleaning, author = {Abdellaoui, Jamila El}, title = {{Cleaning Out the Closet: Armed Groups in the Great Lakes Region}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/cleaning-out-the-closet-armed-groups-in-the-great-lakes-region}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }