 Perhaps inspired by the recently concluded general elections, when Nkunda engaged in negotiations with Major General John Numbi, at that time head of the Congolese air force, he declared the group he led to be the National Congress for the Defence of the People on 30 December 2006.Nkunda benefited greatly from "mixage"; before 2007, he had two brigades while "mixage" created five mixed brigades.While numbers are disputed, Nkunda's two original brigades (the 81st and the 83rd) numbered about 2,200 men but by May 2007 some 8,000 to 8,500 men considered themselves under his command.