The Ituri conflict was fought between two non-governmental informally organised ethnic groups, the Lendu and Hema, that had caused the deaths of thousands of people by 2003.

[5] In 2003, Lendu and Hema militias were battling for control of the town after Ugandan troops withdrew after the signing of a peace agreement, and Congolese police fled.

[7] Following a series of massacres, including the Bogoro attack of February 2003, and reports by the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) of serious human rights abuses, the Security Council adopted the Resolution 1484 on 30 May 2003 and authorised the deployment of a French led Interim Multinational Emergency Force (IMEF) to the regional capital of Bunia.

The withdrawal of 7,000 Ugandan troops in April 2003 led to a deteriorating security situation in the Ituri region, endangering the peace process in DRC.

The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for establishing and deploying a temporary multi-national force to the area until the weakened MONUC mission could be reinforced.