Why are the ADF resisting FARDC military operations supported by MONUSCO? This study breaks new ground in the theory of the xylocopeisation of territory as a new paradigm for explaining the ADF war. This theory is borne out by the subcontracting of armed groups by sovereign states to the detriment of their armies, police forces and other specialised services traditionally responsible for state security, leaving their populations at the mercy of outlaws. The study shows that around the ADF, a network of political, economic and cultural smuggling had been consolidated, hence the neologism of a "three-breasted monster". Because it is a monster, a number of harmful consequences were noted in terms of its impact on the socio-economic life of the Ruwenzori region.