Second Congo War

The Second Congo War, also known as Africa's World War or the Great War of Africa, was a major conflict that began on 2 August 1998, in the <a href="/facts/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo/E2KmHDdv">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a>, just over a year after the <a href="/facts/First_Congo_War/nvK5SfuB">First Congo War</a>. The war initially erupted when Congolese president <a href="/facts/Laurent-D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9_Kabila/yjJhcMLT">Laurent-Désiré Kabila</a> turned against his former allies from <a href="/facts/Rwanda/UKR5UdKy">Rwanda</a> and <a href="/facts/Uganda/PabdegRm">Uganda</a>, who had helped him seize power. The conflict expanded as Kabila rallied a coalition of other countries to his defense. The war drew in nine African nations and approximately 25 armed groups, making it one of the largest wars in African history.
Although a peace agreement was signed in 2002, and the war officially ended on 18 July 2003 with the establishment of the <a href="/facts/Transitional_Government_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo/DlQQlpCd">Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo</a>, violence has persisted in various regions, particularly in the east, through ongoing conflicts such as the <a href="/facts/Lord%27s_Resistance_Army_insurgency/po3f8VA8">Lord's Resistance Army insurgency</a> and the <a href="/facts/Kivu_conflict/yTkf7gGv">Kivu</a> and <a href="/facts/Ituri_conflict/mnSSESXK">Ituri conflicts</a>.
The Second Congo War and its aftermath caused an estimated 5.4 million deaths, primarily due to disease and malnutrition, making it the deadliest conflict since <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, according to a 2008 report by the <a href="/facts/International_Rescue_Committee/u8V2pJzW">International Rescue Committee</a>. However, this figure has been disputed, with some researchers arguing that many of the deaths may have occurred regardless of the war and that the actual death toll was closer to 3 million. The conflict also <a href="/facts/Displaced_person/lKjCS4R2">displaced</a> approximately 2 million people, forcing them to flee their homes or seek <a href="/facts/Refugee/VISfRRnT">asylum</a> in neighboring countries. Additionally, the war was heavily funded by the trade of <a href="/facts/Conflict_minerals_law/SKDqsokS">conflict minerals</a>, which continues to fuel violence in the region.

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Second Congo War