Insigahanga
The term Insigahanga is used to denote localised militia groups within the southwest of Mabifia which were formed during or after the Second Mabifian Civil War with the objective of defending local communities from other armed groups. Unlike politicised militias who sought political goals such as regime change or secession, the Insigahanga limit their activities to their local area, engaging in racketeering, extortion of protection money, as well as rape and vigilante justice. The presence of such groups has often posed a problem for the central government of Mabifia, who have at times both relied on such groups to combat insurgencies and fought against them to maintain the rule of law.
The name Insigahanga translates to Those who anoint the foregead, which refers to the common practice of painting or anointing one's face with holy water or white paint as a protection from enemy bullets. Insigahanga is a compound word, derived from the Kirobyi words insiga (those who anoint), which itself comes from gusiga (to paint/anoint), and uruhanga (forehead). While many of the fighters are nominally Catholic or Irfanic, such traditional fetishist rituals are widely practiced.
While there is no official number of Isigahanga fighters active, it is estimated that they could number in the tens of thousands. Many such militias operate on a reserve basis, with village members possessing arms but not remaining as active combatants until conflict arrives. This situation is aggravated by the high availability of small arms in Mabifia, let alone tools such as machetes which can be used by combatants and traditional weapons such as spears and bows and arrows.