Six-Day War (2000)

For other uses, see Six Day War (disambiguation).

The Six-Day War (French: Guerre des Six Jours) was a series of armed confrontations between Ugandan and Rwandan forces around the city of Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 5 to 10 June 2000. The war formed part of the wider Second Congo War (1998–2003).

Six-Day War
Part of the Second Congo War
Memorial cemetery of the Guerre des Six Jours of 2000
Date 5–10 June 2000 Location Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo Result UN-brokered ceasefire Rwanda maintains control over Simsimi Airport Uganda asked by the UN to withdraw north to Bafasende Capture of Ugandan senior officers, in contravention of the ceasefire
Belligerents
Rwanda	Uganda
Commanders and leaders
Emmanuel Karenzi Karake	James Kazini[1]
Casualties and losses
2 brigades destroyed	~600–700 killed (estimate)[2]
Total casualties (estimate):[3] 1,576 killed 3,000 wounded

Kisangani was also a scene of violence between Rwandan and Ugandan troops in August 1999 and 5 May 2000. However, the conflicts of June 2000 were the most lethal and seriously damaged a large part of the city, with more than 6,600 rounds fired.^[4]

According to Justice et Libération, a human rights organisation based in Kisangani, the violence resulted in around 1,000 deaths and wounded at least 3,000, the majority of whom were civilians.^[3] An entire brigade was wiped out at Bangoka Airport and another was destroyed at Simsimi Airport and the Sotexki textile industry.^{[citation needed]}

In culture

The 2020 documentary film "Downstream to Kinshasa" (French: En route pour le milliard) by director Dieudo Hamadi centers on survivors of the Six-Day War, in which the victims travel to Kinshasa to seek compensation from the government.^[5][6][7]

References

1. Hranjski, Hrvoje (12 June 2000). "Rwanda Routs Uganda in Congo Battle". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
2. "Uganda Correspondent". Uganda Correspondent. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
3. La Guerre des Six Jours Archived 10 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine, P. André Balusia, Monfortain, afriqueespoire.com.
4. Kisangani : commémoration du 6^e anniversaire de la guerre de six jours, David Tshiala, Le Potentiel, 15 juin 2006.
5. Independent, The (8 June 2020). "Trauma lingers from DR Congo's 'Six-Day War,' 20 years on". The Independent Uganda. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
6. "TIFF 2020: Downstream to Kinshasa Review – Point of View Magazine". povmagazine.com. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
7. Vourlias, Christopher (26 June 2020). "'Downstream to Kinshasa,' First Congolese Film in Cannes Official Selection, Honors Resilience of War Victims". Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2021.

External links

• Kisangani : Guerre de six jours : Amnésie collective, Alex Engwete, 8 June 2007, on laconscience.com. (in French)
• Working for hope, December 2000, ACT International
• Heavy fighting resumes in Kisangani, 10 June 2000, BBC.