User:Le Petit Chat/Kisangani
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The battle of Kisangani was a battle of the First Congo War that took place in March 1997 near and in the city of Kisangani, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). The rebels of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo, AFDL) of Laurent-Désiré Kabila and their Rwandan allies took the city from the Zairian forces loyal to President Mobutu Sese Seko.
Battle of Kisangani | |||||||
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Part of the First Congo War | |||||||
Localisation of Kisangani | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Units involved | |||||||
![]() 31th Parachute Brigade 41th Brigade Civil guard of Zaïre and Service d'Actions et de Renseignements Militaires 48th Independent Battalion Special Presidential Division Serbian mercenaries ![]() ![]() |
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Strength | |||||||
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The Zairian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Zaïroises, FAZ) proved to be inneffective, althought reinforced by aircrafts, Serbian mercenaries and Rwandan Hutu militiamen. After some small-scale Zairian offensives in January, the rebels, commanded by James Kabarebe, reached the vicinity of the city. From 1 to 10 March, the advance of the AFDL was stopped and both sides suffered losses. On 14 March, the general assault of the rebels forced the pro-Mobutu staff and their soldiers to flee. The later plundered the region as they fall back. Hundreds of Rwandan Hutu refugees were murdered in the following weeks.
This battle was a turning point of the war, which ended with the final defeat of Mobutu and the seizure of the power by Kabila after the fall of Kinshasa, capital of Zaire, in May 1997.