Insurgency in M'biruna
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| Insurgency in M'biruna | |||||||
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| Part of the M'biruna Civil War | |||||||
 Daoan Peacekeepers conversing with surrendering rebels. | |||||||
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| Factions | |||||||
MPFF |
M'birunan Militias Agysimban Rebels
Covert support
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Military
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| Approximately XXX civilians killed | |||||||
The Insurgency in M'biruna, also known as the M'birunan Insurgency, was an eight month long armed insurgency that began on April 2007 in M'biruna, almost immediately after the signing and ratification of the Nkomo Accords. The conflict was fought largely by the Ingubu aligned Cha Cha Ungalakothi (CCU) Militia alongside its allies, against the Multinational Peacekeeping Force M'biruna, the latter being an international peacekeeping and humanitarian taskforce that was deployed to M'biruna as part of the peace process of the M'birunan Civil War. The insurgency was the direct result of the the provisions of the Nkomo Accords, a peace treaty that was signed by the government of M'biruna and the separatist Agysimban rebels. The rootcause of the insurgency included disagreements among both M'birunan and Agysimban militias on the various provisions of the Nkomo Peace accords. Two of the most commonly rejected provisions include the disarmament of all militia and rebel groups that were not recognized in the accords as well as the reorganization of M'biruna's administrative division.
The insurgency began as a series of non-violent raids conducted by the CCU against MPFM civilian aid convoys & workers, stealing food, water and medical supplies with no fatalities. This however gradually escalated into a series of skirmishes as the MPFM increased the number of military personnel, with the insurgency culminating in the Battle of Mtshelelele, an intense three day urban battle between CCU militias and MPFM military forces. The battle is often considered as a turning point of the insurgency as the CCU, suffering heavy losses to its manpower during the battle, found itself unable to sustain a prolonged armed resistance against the MPFM. An investigation by the MPFM also discovered that elements within M'biruna's military leadership also provided covert support to the CCU. Using this as leverage the MPFM was able to force these sympathetic elements within M'biruna's military to persuade the CCU to end its resistance and comply with the Nkomo Accords in full. Further resistance by the CCU and other dissident militias ended by December 2007 and the disarmament and demobilization of all militias were completed by July 2008.
Background
The signing and ratification of the Nkomo Accords by the govenrment of M'biruna and the Agysimban separatist movement is widely considered as the catalyst of the insurgency. Many rebel factions, especially the CCU, vehemently objected to the disarmament and administrative reorganization provisions of the accords. They saw these provisions as a betrayal to what they had fought for throughout the civil war.
Factions
M'birunan Militias
Agysimban Rebels
Multinational Peacekeeping Force M'biruna
Timeline
Beginning of the Insurgency
From April to June 2007 the CCU and its allies initiated small scale and largely non-violent raids and ambushes against MPFM aid convoys and humanitarian project sites. The CCU would initmidate aid workers into submission, steal supplies from the convoy or project sites and retreat into the wilderness to escape. Food, water and medical supplies were the primary target of these attacks, though at times the rebels would also confiscate various equipment such as the convoy truck itself and various construction equipment used by aid workers who were in the process of rebuilding public infrastructure. These initial raids resulted in no fatalities though it did prompt a response from the MPFM. Aid workers from Daobac, Onekawa-Nukanoa, Kembesa and Pulacan were among the various countries whose civilian aid workers were victims of the attacks. These attacks and raids were largely conducted against humanitarian convoys enroute to distribute aid and supplies to Agysimban territories, in hopes of preventing aid from reaching Agysimban controlled areas. In response to these attacks against humanitarian aid convoys & project sites, the MPFM deployed more military personnel to provide protection for its civilian aid workers. As a result, the first recorded fatality of a CCU militia occurred on 20 May 2007 when a group of CCU militias ambushed and opened fire on a Pulacan-led aid convoy. An aid worker was shot by a ricochet from the militia and, in accordance with the established rules of engagement, MPFM military escorts returned fire which resulted in the deaths of half a dozen militia members. Other minor skirmishes continued throughout May and June of the same year, with militia and MPFM forces engaged in minor skirmishes against one and another. The first recorded MPFM military and civilian casualties occurred in skirmishes on 24 May 2007 and 26 May 2007 respectively. After these casualties the MPFM invited CCU leaders to the negotiating table in the hopes that the CCU would agree to some form of disarmament.
Escalation
By the end of June continued CCU attacks and mounting casualties on both sides resulted in the failure of any possible peace negotiations with the CCU. The CCU intensified the number of attacks and raids against MPFM personnel, as well demanded, publicly, the immediate withdrawal of all MPFM forces from M'biruna, declaring the MPFM as an illegal occupation force. In response to this escalation the MPFM launched simultaneous raids against CCU rebel camps that were identified as those responsible for the increased attacks. Throughout the insurgency the CCU maintained a rudimentary but effective bush telegraph and radio network, allowing CCU commanders to organize and relay information to one another effectively. They also utilized a network of civilian informants throughout the country to pass along information and observation about the MPFM's troop movements, deployments and the sorts. Most notably however was that some elements within the M'biruna's military leadership were sympathetic to the CCU's plight. They supplied the CCU with information such as disarmament schedules and other agreements the M'birunan government had made with the MPFM.