Forebu was founded in December 2015, following a failed military coup against Nkurunziza's government in May 2015 and a subsequent period of unrest. The group recruited members from the ex-soldiers purged from the Burundian Army in the aftermath of the coup, many of whom had fled into the eastern Congo. Some recruits also came from the . The majority of members come from the Tutsi ethnic group, though a significant minority are Hutu. Since its creation, Forebu has been led by Jérémie Ntiranyibagira, with Edouard Nshimirimana responsible for the group's administration. It is known to have been active in Fizi and Uvira territories in the Congolese province of South Kivu, near the Burundian border.