The rwandan genocide sparked a horrific bloodbath that swept acr. Located in westcentral africa, the congo is a country with great ethnic diversity and vast natural resources, especially immensely mineralrich land. Fiction and nonfiction books set completely or at least partially in either the republic of the congo or the democratic republic of the congo. 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, sudan. Cornell university press, 1974 remains one of the best indepth scholarly analyses of the crisis. Sep 12, 20 the democratic republic of the congo, also known as the congo or the drc, is the second largest country in africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world.
Democratic republic of the congo the congo crisis britannica. Tim butchers top 10 books about congo published on sun 20 jan 2008 19. The author says she spent nearly 30 years waiting for the wisdom and maturity to write this book. 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. The new congo crisis had become a continentwide conflict. King leopold ii of belgium claims what he calls congo free state, which he rules cruelly in a bid to extract natural resources. Crise congolaise was a period of political upheaval and conflict in the republic of the congo today the democratic republic of the congo between 1960 and 1965. Tim butchers top 10 books about congo books the guardian. His reports resulted in king leopold ii of belgium establishing the congo free state. The congo crisis was one of the many examples of the cold war proxy conflicts, as the united states and the soviet union backed their respective groups.
The crisis began almost immediately after the congo became independent from belgium and ended, unofficially, with the entire country under the rule of joseph. Dec 12, 20 the best books on democratic republic of the congo. 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. Deep in the african rain forest, near the legendary ruins of the lost city. The katanga crisis of congo in the 1960s is riveting as a fiction thriller. Also one of africas bloodiest wars with a million or so dead. Despite the new government, the eastern congo continued to be an unstable war zone. The best books on democratic republic of the congo. Jan 27, 2019 in the first congo war, the support of rwanda and uganda enabled congolese rebel, laurent desirekabila, to overthrow mobutu sese sekos government. This book offers an embassy and state department inside view of the congo crisis from 19601963. The second factor of the crisis was the growing threat of the cold war in. Amazon second chance pass it on, trade it in, give it a second life. The new government printed no money in the second half of last year, and lifted price controls. They retaliated by invading the democratic republic of the congo, starting the second congo war.
It is generally believed that resource control was not one of the motivating factors for the invasion of zaire by rwanda and uganda in the first congo war of 199697, but gradually the profits of mining in the eastern region became integrated in the financing of both the smaller. Before the birth of the moon by valentin y mudimbe. 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. The collapse of the congo and the great war of africa, publicaffairs, 2011, is also good. A report from congo africas great war middle east and africa. The first such confrontation occurred in the former belgian congo, which gained its independence on june 30, 1960. In november 1965 the congolese army under mobutu staged a second coup, and mobutu declared himself president. 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. By september 1998, a month after the second congo war had begun, the two sides were at a stalemate. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. However, a true peace has been elusive and there are continuing concerns that the conflict will flare again. 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.
The first and second wars, 19962003 the enough project. The congo crisis, 19601965 chapter 3 foreign intervention in. Earlier that year in march, france said that tribes and groups were causing trouble and planning to start a rebellion in morocco. The congo civil war, or congo crisis, was a complex political tumult that began just days following belgium s granting of congolese independence in 1960. A history of the civil war in congo, a truly continental disaster that has sucked in neighbors and killed millions of people over the past 12 years. This resulted in a rwandanugandan joint invasion in 1998. Democratic republic of congo profile timeline bbc news. Except for the sending of christian missionaries to the area, little was done to prepare the country for independence. Crise congolaise was a period of political upheaval and conflict in the republic of the congo today the democratic republic of the congo 3 between 1960 and 1965. Set in the 1960s, shortly after congos independence from belgium, mudimbes story reflects the political uncertainty and instability of the period.
Nov 29, 2011 a brief history of congo s wars key to understanding congo today is understanding the violence that has defined the countrys recent history. Congo only a few days after it formally received its independence from belgium, and the return of belgian troops to the congo in the days after independence created tensions within the congolese government. Congo crisis project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Red lines indicate approximate zones of control in 2003.
The prokabila forces controlled the west and central part of the congo, while the antikabila forces controlled the east and part of the north. The second congo war was a conflict that took place largely in the territory of democratic republic of the congo formerly zaire. 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. Congo government president laurent kabila, angola, namibia, zimbabwe and chad. The war began in 1998 and officially ended in 2003 when a transitional government took power. Kabila turned on his former backers rwanda and uganda and allowed hutu armies to regroup in eastern congo.
The second moroccan crisis or agadir crisis began when france brought troops over to the city, fez, in morocco to prevent rebellions. American mercenaries in the african congo showcases the events leading. For an overview of the congo crisis, three books are especially recommended. American foreign policy in the congo, 19601964 ithaca, ny. The second congo war diary of a wimpy kid fanon wiki fandom. Second congo war mcgill school of computer science. Important actions are described in their essential outlines, the actors are propconflict resolution volume viii number 1 conflict, crisis and the congo. The second congo war was a consequence of first war congo war. The best book on the topic ive seen is reyntjens, filip, the great african war.
Study on the first and second congo war history essay. As a guide book through a labyrinth of complicated events, this book could not be improved upon. Congo, the rwandan genocide, and the making of a continental catastrophe prunier, gerard on. It began almost immediately after the congo became independent from belgium and ended, unofficially, with the entire country under the rule of joseph. The katanga crisis of congo in the 1960s is riveting as a. Congo and regional geopolitics, 19962006, cambridge university press, 2009. Lasting four years, the associated violence claimed an estimated 100,000 lives including the nations first prime minister, patrice lumumba. After the fall of zaire in 1997, the democratic republic of the congo had struggled with international relations with its virtual liberators rwanda, uganda and burundi, including struggling with. That feeling stayed with me through the last months of the second congo war 19982003 and the subsequent lowintensity series of ongoing.
Adding to the confusion was a constitutional impasse that pitted the. Jan 25, 2001 the countrys armed rebels have also found a base in the congo, and employment fighting for president kabila. Nov 29, 2011 second congo war the great war of africa. 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. A congolese uprising leads to independence in 1960. The congo war 1998 present map of the congo war circa 2003. On their journey they discover the lost city of zinj and a new species of killer gorillas, which they must overcome to survive. Republic of the congo, later zaire weapons and warfare. Second congo war news newspapers books scholar jstor february 2016 learn. The decolonization of subsaharan africa from the late 1950s to the mid1970s resulted in several proxy cold war confrontations between the united states and the soviet union over the dozens of newly independent, nonaligned nations. 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. However, after kabila was installed as the new president, he broke ties with rwanda and uganda.
Jul 15, 2009 the congo civil war, or congo crisis, was a complex political tumult that began just days following belgiums granting of congolese independence in 1960. Congos civil war may have claimed as many as 3m lives. In response to an international outcry, the belgian state takes it over in 1908, renaming it the belgian congo. David livingstone was the first european explorer to enter the region. The war officially ended in july 2003, when the transitional government of the democratic republic of the. The crisis began almost immediately after the congo became independent from belgium and ended, unofficially, with the entire country under the rule of josephdesire mobutu. Democratic republic of the congo democratic republic of the congo the congo crisis. 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. Jan 10, 2019 a chronology of key events in the history of the democratic republic of congo, from the 1200s to the present.
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