Kisangani Burns: Ugandan-Rwandan Clash Erupts
Ugandan and Rwandan military forces, formerly allies in overthrowing Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, fought a destructive six-day battle in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo, beginning on June 5, 2000. Both countries had troops deployed in eastern Congo ostensibly supporting different Congolese rebel factions but actually competing for control of diamond and coltan mining operations. The fighting destroyed much of the city center and killed over 1,000 Congolese civilians caught in crossfire. The International Court of Justice later ruled that Uganda owed reparations to the DRC for the destruction. The Kisangani battles exposed how the Second Congo War, which involved nine African nations, was driven as much by competition for mineral wealth as by political ideology.
June 5, 2000
26 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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