▁s idel ined ▁from ▁the ▁military ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁R CD - ML ▁and ▁he ▁split ▁from ▁the ▁group . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁he ▁became ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁U PC ▁and ▁founded ▁its ▁military ▁wing , ▁the ▁Patri otic ▁Force ▁for ▁the ▁Liber ation ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ▁( F PL C ). ▁ ▁Under ▁Lub anga ' s ▁leadership , ▁the ▁largely ▁H ema ▁U PC ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁actors ▁in ▁the ▁It uri ▁conflict ▁between ▁the ▁H ema ▁and ▁L end u ▁eth nic ▁groups . ▁It ▁seized ▁control ▁of ▁Bun ia , ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁gold - rich ▁It uri ▁region , ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁and ▁demanded ▁that ▁the ▁Cong ol ese ▁government ▁recogn ise ▁It uri ▁as ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁province . ▁Lub anga ▁was ▁arrested ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁while ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁Kin sh asa ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁released ▁ten ▁weeks ▁later ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁a ▁kid n apped ▁government ▁minister . ▁ ▁Human ▁Rights ▁Watch ▁has ▁accused ▁the ▁U PC , ▁under ▁Lub anga ' s ▁command , ▁of ▁" eth nic ▁mass ac res , ▁murder , ▁tort ure , ▁ra pe ▁and ▁m util ation , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁child ▁soldiers ". ▁Between ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁the ▁U PC ▁alleg edly ▁killed ▁ 8 0 0 ▁civ ili ans ▁on ▁the