Third Congo War (Rising Africa)

Third Congo War
Date September 2015 — June 2017 Location Central Africa, mainly the Congo region Result Revolutionary victory
Belligerents
Congolese Revolutionary Movement Free Army of the Congo Congolese Liberation Army Congolese People's Front Supported by: Rwanda Uganda Republic of the Congo Burundi	Kabila Administration Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congolese National Police Mai-Mai militias Supported by: Angola Central African Republic (until December 2015)
Commanders
Alexandre Kayembe Makila Kutuka Ntambo Linga Nzambe Sungilga	Joseph Kabila Didier Etumba Longila Lopes Afonso Kumba Amisi
Strength
230,000 11,000 7,500 4,700 Unknown	140,000 15,000 580
Casualties and losses
23,000 killed, 38,000 wounded 2,000 killed or missing, wounded unknown 1,400 killed or missing, 300 wounded 800 killed or missing, wounded unknown 4 killed	28,000 killed, wounded unknown 3,000 killed or missing, 5,500 wounded 12 killed, 41 wounded

The Third Congo War was a conflict in Central Africa that occurred from September 2015 to June 2017. It was the result of widespread anger at the 2015 DR Congo presidential elections, in which the incumbent president, Joseph Kabila, won, even though the vast majority of people said they voted for Alexandre Kayembe, a new candidate in the election. This resulted in mass protests, which escalated into riots as the police and republican guard tried to quell them with lethal force. It escalated into full scale civil war when Kayembe declared the formation of the Congolese Revolutionary Movement (CRM), which was intent on overthrowing Kabila. The movement's militias captured much of the eastern DRC in the first several months, getting almost 20,000 army defectors.

Background

2015 presidential elections

In July 2015, the presidential elections occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was expected that the popular politician from the Congolese Revolutionary Party, Alexandre Kayembe, a former officer in the Congolese air force, would win. The majority of the people were expected to vote for him, as polls showed before the elections. Joseph Kabila, the incumbent president, was widely unpopular, and viewed to be illegitimate by much of the country. The people of the Congo believed that electing Kayembe would bring at least some change to the government in Kinshasa.

However, everyone was shocked to find out that Kabila won. The majority of people immediately called it out and said it must have been rigged, and mass protests quickly began in major cities against Kabila's return to power. Joseph Kabila went on national television and said it was "as much of a surprise to him as it was to others" and that he would be "burdened to accept power again". No one believed him, though.