From bokassa and operation barracude to the days of eufor, battle for cassinga. This fiveyear conflict drew in nine african nations and killed around three million people, making it the deadliest conflict since world war ii. That feeling stayed with me through the last months of the second congo war 19982003 and the subsequent lowintensity series of ongoing conflicts, disputes, peace deals and oscillating tensions culminating in the recent emergence of the mouvement du 23 mars m23 militia. Penned by an author renowned for his expertise and engaging writings on africa, and his narrative is filled with eyewitness reportage. Democratic republic of the congo the congo crisis britannica. However, a true peace has been elusive and there are continuing concerns that the conflict will flare again. If this book was written by someone besides prunier, i would probably dismiss it largely or in whole. That five years of slaughter after the second rwandan invasion in 1998 cost so many. The author says she spent nearly 30 years waiting for the wisdom and maturity to write this book. The second congo war also known as the great war of africa or the great african war, and sometimes referred to as the african world war began in the democratic republic of the congo in august 1998, little more than a year after the first congo war, and involved some of the same issues.
The roots of war in eastern congo world news the guardian. Congo, the rwandan genocide, and the making of a continental catastrophe is one of the first books to lay bare the. Jan 25, 2001 the countrys armed rebels have also found a base in the congo, and employment fighting for president kabila. Red lines indicate approximate zones of control in 2003. Cmrra, warner chappell, umpi, latinautor, umpg publishing, pedl, latinautor. On one side were congolese rebels backed and guided by rwanda, uganda, and burundi. Modern democratic republic of congo weapons and warfare. After a bodyguard shot and killed president kabila in 2001, his son joseph kabila was appointed president at the age of 29. The best book on the topic ive seen is reyntjens, filip, the great african war.
The war officially ended in july 2003, when the transitional government of the democratic republic of the. This was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history second only to the 2nd world war, in comparison to the brutality and the death toll with 5. The drcs conflict might be the deadliest since world war ii, and one of worlds worst active crises. Jul 25, 2000 a war which is increasingly unpopular with zimbabweans has been cited as one of the reasons for the massive swing towards the opposition in junes election.
The democratic republic of congo is one of the poorest nations in africa, having the second lowest gdp per capita in the world, perhaps due to it being the site of the african world war in 1998. The first civil war was sparked by the 1994 rwandan genocide, which led around two million rwandan refugees to flee to eastern congo. The deadliest phase, the second congo war 19982003, is thus also called the great war of africa referring to the original great war. Uncovering the truth explores the role that the united states allies, rwanda and uganda, have played in triggering the greatest humanitarian crisis at the dawn of the 21st century millions of congolese have lost their lives in a conflict that the united nations describes as the deadliest in the world since world war two. There was never any lull in the conflict between the first and second war. Cold war in the congo, 19601965 is a magnificent treatment of a topic of great importance in the evolution of the cold war from its origins in europe after the second world war to its truly global impact less than two decades later.
Study on the first and second congo war history essay. Kabila turned on his former backers rwanda and uganda and allowed hutu armies to regroup in eastern congo. Involving seven countries and around twenty armed groups, the origins of the war go back to the 1994 rwandan genocide. Kabila initially placed rpf officers and congolese tutsi in. The first and second wars, 19962003 the enough project. An estimated 11,000 zimbabwean soldiers form the mainstay of support for president laurent kabilas government in his war against rebels backed by rwanda and uganda. The nook book ebook of the great lakes conflagration.
The first phase of the second congo war led to a stalemate in the democratic republic of the congo. This resulted in a rwandanugandan joint invasion in 1998. In 1999 a ceasefire agreement was signed in the zambian capital of lusaka by six combatant nations the drc. Unfortunately he caught malaria, for which he took aspirin, which caused a haemorrhage and he died. That feeling stayed with me through the last months of the second congo war 19982003 and the subsequent lowintensity series of ongoing. Second congo war news newspapers books scholar jstor february 2016 learn. More than a remake 243 resistance by the congolese tutsi who feared victimization and an instrumentalization of this struggle by the rwandan regime in order to cover the rpas intervention in zaire.
All the parties involved took advantage of the rich resources of the. Kabilas decision to expel the rwandan and ugandan forces led, within a year, to the second congo war, involving directly or indirectly some nine african nations and at least 20 armed groups. Apr 28, 20 the second congo war 19982003, also know as the great war of africa, was the deadliest war in modern africa history. The first congo war began in 1996 as rwanda grew increasingly concerned that members of rassemblement democratique pour le rwanda militias, who were carrying out crossborder raids from zaire currently known as the democratic republic of congo, were planning an invasion. Second, one has to decide to what degree one trusts prunier. The second congo war was a conflict that took place largely in the territory of democratic republic of the congo formerly zaire. The triggering events behind the congo crisis were the mutiny of the army the force publique near leopoldville on july 5 and the subsequent intervention of belgian paratroopers, ostensibly to protect the lives of belgian citizens. Gerard prunier has written a magnificent book on the politics of the second congo war but tom cooper has given it the courtesy of a military appreciation for this african great war. He went there to collect chimpanzee faeces to test his theory that hiv was due to a medical mistake. At stake was the leadership of the congo and its wealth of resources. Great lakes conflagration is the second in two volumes covering military operations in the democratic republic of congo drc at the turn from the 21st century. Congo government president laurent kabila, angola, namibia, zimbabwe and chad. From bokassa and operation barracude to the days of eufor. Modern democratic republic of congo posted on february 27, 2016 by msw despite their nations vast natural resources, from diamonds, gold and rare minerals to coffee and oil, the majority of the 77 million people of the democratic republic of congo drc exist in poverty, their lives all too often cut short by disease or war.
Tentatively since its years since i read stearns, and ive only briefly looked through. The genocide resulted in an estimated 2 million refugees, mostly hutu, that poured over. Rhodesian raid on chimoio and tembue 1977, france in centrafrique. Author tom cooper calls it a chaotic cocktail of conflict. It uses his expedition across the congo to tell the region. This volume explores developments in the drc that led to the outbreak of violence in august 1998, and systematically details the. The second war in the dr congo commenced directly after the first war and lasted for fifteen extremely long years.
The bloodiest war since the second world war unfolded in the democratic republic of congo. Second congo war 19982003 during 1997, relations between kabila and his foreign backers deteriorated. Second congo war mcgill school of computer science. The sequel to coopers terrific great lakes holocaust begins with a brief chapter summarizing the immediate aftermath of rwandas remarkable victory. History of the drc the second congo war was a conflict taking place largely in the territory of democratic republic of the congo formerly zaire that began in 1998 and officially ended in 2002.
This was second book on the topic of the great war of africacongo war. Licensed to youtube by sme on behalf of sony bmg music uk. A country of paradoxes, it is a land rich in natural resources, but its people are among the poorest in the world. The ensuing conflict has often been referred to as africas world war with nine countries fighting each other on congolese soil. In the first congo war, the support of rwanda and uganda enabled congolese rebel, laurent desirekabila, to overthrow mobutu sese sekos government. The burundian army preoccupied with the civil war at home, is not a major player in the congo, but the rebels, again estimated to number about 15,000, are an important component of the congolese government forces. Stearns details how after the 1994 genocide in rwanda the hutututsi conflict spills over the border into congo and unleashes a web of wars. Despite the new government, the eastern congo continued to be an unstable war zone. And he wonderfully recaps the hostilities in his great lakes conflagration. Sep 12, 20 this led to the second civil war in 1998, when rwandan and ugandan forces invaded the congo once again.
The second congo war also known as the great war of africa or the great african war, and sometimes referred to as the african world war began in the democratic republic of the congo in august 1998, little more than a year after the first congo war, and. For those of us who imagine african militaries in terms of films like dogs of war this book will come as an interesting introduction. The second conflict, in particular, has killed more than 5 million people, making it the deadliest conflict since world war ii. However, after kabila was installed as the new president, he broke ties with rwanda and uganda. One of the most obscure wars in recent history in the second congo war which was africas world war as it involved not only the congolese but also the armies of rwanda, uganda, burundi, angola, zimbabwe, namimbia, chad. The second congo war 19982003, also know as the great war of africa, was the deadliest war in modern africa history. The collapse of the congo and the great war of africa, publicaffairs, 2011, is also good. William hamilton went to kisangani in the democratic republic of the congo while the second congo war was raging. They retaliated by invading the democratic republic of the congo, starting the second congo war. But for the congolese the wars meant only more misery. Its multinational makeup prompted historians dub it the first african war.
South africas controversial crossborder raid, angola 1978, and several more. The second congo war congo genocide wikipedia defines a genocide as the deliberate or systematic destruction, in whole or in part,of an ethnic,racial, religious, or national group. The war began in 1998 and officially ended in 2003 when a transitional government took power. Dec 12, 20 africas world war, fought in congo a country the size of western europe sucks in the armies of nine states, along with a bewildering range of militias. Zimbabwes expensive involvement in the civil war in the democratic republic of congo continues despite opposition at home, and no obvious strategic advantage. Although this was a good account of the second congo war especially the incredibly bold and risky gambit by rwanda to win the war in one bold strokeoperation kitona, it was marred by a almost complete lack of maps and over indulgence in photos of airplanes. Congo genocide second congo war by andrea pickford on prezi. The democratic republic of the congo drc, the second largest country in africa, has been mired in conflict for decades. Tim butchers top 10 books about congo books the guardian. This volume explores developments in the drc that led to the outbreak of violence in august 1998, and systematically details the continued buildup and status of the congolese, rwandan and ugandan armies, as well as the forces of. By september 1998, a month after the second congo war had begun, the two sides were at a stalemate.
Jun 15, 2015 the congolese wars took place between 1996 and 2003 both the second and first were between zairthe democratic republic of congo, rwanda and later uganda. Known as the great war, it was fought mostly in the northeast region of the congo. The first congo war 19961997, also nicknamed africas first world war, was a civil war and international military conflict which took place mostly in zaire presentday dr congo, with major spillovers into sudan and uganda. The book was interesting in the second half with the first half using lot of technical jargon which almost made me abandon it halfway. Adding to the confusion was a constitutional impasse that pitted the. Africas world war congo, the rwandan genocide, and the making of a continental catastrophe gerard prunier. The countrys armed rebels have also found a base in the congo, and employment fighting for president kabila.
Adding to the confusion was a constitutional impasse that. The congo war 1998 present map of the congo war circa 2003. Sese seko and laurent kabila and their lid a fire between them. The best books on democratic republic of the congo. Congo and regional geopolitics, 19962006, cambridge university press, 2009. The origins of the current congo war are rooted in the countrys two civil wars, beginning in 1996 and 1998, respectively. The democratic republic of the congo drc, the secondlargest country in africa, has been mired in conflict for decades. The author has described the african jungles so vividly that you visualise it right before your eyes. Jun 26, 20 the conflict in the eastern democratic republic of congo, which i visited over the last week of april, has killed somewhere between 3. In other words, the absolute intentions to kill a whole group of people for a certain reason. See all 6 formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
Once you overcome the first half, it becomes interesting and edgy. Jan 27, 2019 the second congo war involved 9 countries officially and some 20 rebel groups. On their journey they discover the lost city of zinj and a new species of killer gorillas, which they must overcome to survive. Nov 19, 20 great lakes conflagration is the second in two volumes covering military operations in the democratic republic of congo drc at the turn from the 21st century. The second congo war was a consequence of first war congo war. This volume explores developments in the drc that led to the outbreak of violence in august 1998, and systematically details the continued buildup and status of the congolese, rwandan and.
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