The man who embodied the hope for a disciplined and effective Congolese army. Colonel Mamadou Ndala was the champion of the war against the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, which in 2011, handed the Democratic Republic of Congo’s forces their first clearcut victory in half a century. “Brave”, “a patriot”, “humble”: top army officers, residents of eastern DRC and even some of his critics have been heaping tributes on the young Colonel who died at 35. He is credited with several of the military victories that saw the Congolese army—until then seen as less effective than the M23 — begin to turn the tide on the rebels. Goma residents began calling him a “liberator” and his popularity was such that in July 2012, people poured out of their homes in a bid to blockade the airport when a rumour emerged that he had been recalled to the capital, Kinshasa. He outshone his superiors; and that may have led to his demise.

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