The Sinister Second Congo War

Also known as the African World War, it was the deadliest conflict since WWII

Congolese Soldier (FARDC). By MONUSCO Photos — FARDC-Kibumba-04, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

The Second Congo War (1998–2003) had one of the most convoluted webs of alliances in history. Nine African countries were officially involved in the war, but over 25 armed groups fought against each other, constantly changing sides and killing their former allies.

This war caused over 5.4 million deaths both directly and indirectly, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II. A further 2 million people have also been displaced from their ancestral lands by it.

How Did It Start?

The Kingdom of Rwanda — a country neighboring Congo — used to be ruled almost exclusively by Tutsi tribesmen since the 1960s, when it gained its independence from Belgium. While the Tutsi people only made up about 15% of the population, they also owned far more land than the Hutus who made up the remaining 85%.

So in October 1990, a civil war broke out which the Hutus eventually won three years later. They elected a Hutu president and an uneasy peace followed. But in August 1994, that president was assassinated and this set in motion the Rwandan Genocide — a period of 100 days during which almost 800,000 Tutsi people were slaughtered by armed militias.