Timeline on key events in Congo leading to UN intervention from 1994 onwards 1994 Rwanda geonicide began and spread

nd spread into DR Congo , led to 2nd UN peacekeeping mission till today After genocide and overthrow of Hutu regime, Hutus fled into Zaire, settle in refugee camps in Kivu 1996 Congo conflict , Tutsi attack on Hutus in Congo, backed by Rwanda and Mobutu government 1997 Kabila backed by Tutsi militia came to power in DR Congo, failed to expel Hutu militia 1998 to 2003 The Great Lake War - war between Congo govt )kabila got help from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola) and the rebels (backed by Rwanda and Uganda) 1999 UN intervention - Lusaka Accord for ceasefire (DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Angola, Rwanda and Uganda) but many rebel groups did not sign accord 1999 MONUC (Mission of UN in DR Congo) started with the following mandate

2004 the mandate expanded , MONUC was an active peacekeeping force ad militarily involved in some areas 2005 MONUC numbered 16000 military personnel spread all over DR Congo 2007 ensure successful voting Joseph Kabila came to Power (Laurent Kabila was his father) 2008 proxy war between Rwanda and the Congo Govt continued in the east until end of 2008 Tutsi warlord Gen Laurent Nkunda waged a campaign to destroy Hutu rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). He accused the govt of backing the FDLR Late 2008 Rwanda and DR Congo joined forces to combat the FDLR in the provinces of North and South Kivu Bitter conflict continues unabated and the Congolese govt troops, backed by thousands of UN peacekeepers, have failed to defeat the FDLR rebels

Reports of mass rapes, kiilings and other atrocities committed by rebels and government troops continue to pour in

Who are the rebel and who are pro-Congo govt armed groups ? Rebel Armed Groups; FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), these are a mix of ex-FAR (former Forces Armes Rwandaises/Armed Forces of Rwanda, the former Hutu-dominated Rwandan army) and Interahamwe (the militia responsible for the 1994 genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis). This is the biggest group of rebel armed groups in the country, with over 5,000 of them in eastern Congo. They cannot go back to Rwanda, for there they would be arrested for war crimes. Others : ADF-NALU (Army for the Liberation of Uganda)- Moslems from Uganda. PRA (People's Redemption Army). More Ugandan rebels. LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Ugandan terrorist group. FNL (Forces Nationales de Libration-Forces for National Liberation/Parti pour la Libration du Peuple Hutu-Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People). Rebels from Burundi

Pro-Government Armed Groups:

United Nations Peacekeepers, who are the only foreign troops fighting for the government. There are 18,000 peacekeepers, and it's not enough.

The Congolese army is actually all of the forces below, plus a few brigades to troops who are not former militiamen or warlord followers.

Mai-Mai - These are tribal militias, many armed with bows, instead of AK-47s. There are over ten thousand of these fighters, organized into 50-100 different groups. The number of Mai-Mai varies, as there are all part timers.

Former warlord gunmen (RCD, MLC, FAC) that are currently being merged, with varying degrees of success, into the Congolese army. The major problem with these guys is that many still have ties to their warlord leaders. One of the RCD leaders, Laurent Nkunda, can switch between pro and anti government positions every few days.

Katangese Tigers are the former Katanga separatists that have been operating out of Angola for decades, until they made peace with the government.

Ituri militia (MRC, FNI, FRPI, UPC, PUSIC) are generally loyal to the government, especially if they have been paid recently. But this is mainly a collection of warlords, not all of whom are really pro-government.