What caused the conflict in Congo?
The origins of the current violence in the DRC are in the massive refugee crisis and spillover from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. After Hutu génocidaires fled to eastern DRC and formed armed groups, opposing Tutsi and other opportunistic rebel groups arose.
What is the Congo conflict?
The First Congo War (1996–1997), also nicknamed Africa’s First World War, was a civil war and international military conflict which took place mostly in Zaire (present-day Democratic Republic of Congo), with major spillovers into Sudan and Uganda.
Why did Congo split into two?
The involvement of the Soviets split the Congolese government and led to an impasse between Lumumba and President Joseph Kasa-Vubu. Mobutu, in command of the army, broke this deadlock with a coup d’état, expelled the Soviet advisors and established a new government effectively under his own control.
How long has Congo been in conflict?
History of the DRC. The people of the DRC have endured more than two decades of civil war, and conflict has claimed as many as 6 million lives.
Why are there two Congos in Africa?
It used to be the French territory Middle Congo. The name Congo stems from the Bakongo, a Bantu tribe that populate the area. The two countries are separated not only by different colonial roots, but by the Congo River (or Zaire River), the second-longest river in Africa.
What ended the Congo crisis?
July 5, 1960 – November 25, 1965Congo Crisis / Period
When did the war in Congo start?
August 2, 1998 – July 18, 2003Second Congo War / Period
Why are there 2 Congos in Africa?
Is there a difference between Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo?
The country is often referred to by its acronym, the DRC, or called Congo (Kinshasa), with the capital added parenthetically, to distinguish it from the other Congo republic, which is officially called the Republic of the Congo and is often referred to as Congo (Brazzaville).
Why did Congo want independence?
After an uprising by the Congolese people, Belgium surrendered and this led to the independence of the Congo in 1960. However, the Congo remained unstable because regional leaders had more power than the central government, with Katanga attempting to gain independence with Belgian support.