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Cocoyes / Coyote Militia (aka Mamba, Zulus)

Originally formed from the Réserve Ministérielle and Zoulous neighbourhood self defence groups of Mfilou, Brazzaville. Its heartland is in the Niari, Lekoumou and Bouenza regions. Militia loyal to ex-President Pascal Lissouba. Fought for Lissouba in the 1993/4, 1997 and 1998/9 civil conflicts. Formed the military wing of the Conseil National de Resistence during the 1998/9 war. Also formed an alliance with the Ninjas in the same conflict, called the Resistance Self-Defence Forces. By 2003 it was not thought that the Cocoyes existed as a cohesive fighting force.

In 1992 the first multi-party elections were held in Congo Brazzaville. Pascal Lissouba was elected President. In 1993 Lissouba for his part was so distrustful of the armed forces that he decided to form his own militia, thereby alienating the few army members who were still supporting him. Lissouba having formed his Cocoye militia (also known as Mamba), Kolélas decided to establish his own militia, the Ninjas. As a civilian with no connection to the military he asked Sassou-Nguesso for support. Sassou Nguesso provided him with former government soldiers to form a militia which became known as the Ninjas. Sassou-Nguesso had also established a militia called the Cobras.

The Cocoye, Lissouba's militia operated in the Southwest; Lissouba is said to have imported Israeli mercenaries to train his militia, former Zairian soldiers as well as Serb mercenaries who had fought in Zaire. President Sassou-Nguesso is from Oyo in the North of the country where he also can rely on his strongest support. He is backed by Angolan forces.

Lissouba built up his own militia when his political opponents created the Ninja and the Cobra. Since the end of the 1997 war, his Cocoye militia, also called Zulus, have remained active in the southwestern regions of Niari, Bouenza and Lekoumou (known collectively as Nibolek). In April 1998, Cocoye militia took over the Moukoukoulou hydro-electric dam near Mouyondzi, cutting off electricity to much of southern Congo including the economic capital of Pointe-Noire for weeks. The crisis was resolved following an agreement between the Cocoye and a government delegation.

Cocoye militia were reported to have at least temporarily gained control of several towns in the south, including Nkayi, Sibiti, Mouyondzi and Loudima. Electricity in Pointe-Noire was again cut off in January 1999 when Cocoye militia took control of a power station, media reports said. An attack on Dolisie took place in late January and fighting was reported to be continuing in the area. Lissouba, leader of the Union panafricaine pour la democratie sociale (UPADS), is now living in exile in London. The Cocoye and the Ninja have recently become formally allied in the Mouvement National pour la Liberation du Congo (MNLC).

In November 1999 the Ninjas and Cocoyes were reported to have agreed on a peace plan with the government; nevertheless the fighting continued until the end of the year. The population was very doubtful about the viability of such a ceasefire agreement as long as the militia leaders Lissouba and Kolélas were not part of it. Initially, Lissouba and Kolélas had both denounced the agreement as a hoax and a scam. On 29 December 1999, a second peace agreement was signed, In February, Bernard Kolélas said he supported the agreement and President Sassou-Nguesso. Since then, there had been no fighting and considerable number of militia started to demobilise.