In the 1970s, during the ruinous 30-year dictatorship of General Mobutu, periodic rebellions required the hasty insertion once again of Belgian and French paratroops to save European lives. From the mid-1990s the country split again, becoming the battleground for the largest African war in history, as armies and rebel groups from Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia and other countries crossed into the Congo to support one side or the other, or simply to loot the rich resources. Major operations ended – or paused – in 2002, but the old hatreds and constant lure of the Congo's natural resources continue to boil over into periodic outbreaks. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and rare photographs, this is the harrowing story of the wars that ravaged the Congo for four decades.
By:
Peter Abbott
Illustrated by:
Raffaele Ruggeri
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Volume: 492
Dimensions:
Height: 248mm,
Width: 184mm,
Spine: 5mm
Weight: 166g
ISBN: 9781782000761
ISBN 10: 1782000763
Series: Men-at-Arms
Pages: 48
Publication Date: 01 February 2014
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction /Glossary of groups /Chronology /The Congo Crisis 1960-63: the Congolese National Army - the Katangan secession, and mercenary involvement - the UN intervention forces /The crisis of 1964-67: the Simba rebellion - the second-wave mercenaries - Belgian intervention - Che Guevara - CIA mercenary pilots /'Zaire' in the Mobutu years 1967-95: Katanga/Shaba rebellions 1977-78 - Belgian, French and Moroccan interventions /Rebellion of 1996-97: Mobutu's army plus mercenaries vs Kabila - Mobutu flees, and general war breaks out, 1997-2002: Rwandan, Angolan, Zimbabwean, Ugandan, Namibian and Tchadian involvement /Bibliography /Plate commentaries /Index
Peter Abbott is a retired university lecturer. He has written or co-authored a number of Men-at-Arms titles for Osprey, including Men-at-Arms 379: Armies in East Africa 1914-18. He is particularly interested in 19th- and 20th-century armies that are less well known to the English-speaking reader. Raffaele Ruggeri was born in Bologna where he works and lives with his wife. After studying at the Fine Arts Academy he worked in several areas of graphics and design before deciding to devote himself to illustration. He has long been interested in military history and has illustrated a number of books for Osprey.
Reviews for Modern African Wars (4): The Congo 1960–2002
The historical context is chaotic and complex, but some interesting military units and uniforms are covered...The author concisely recounts the convoluted history of four decades of fighting that have wreaked havoc in the Congo. --Toy Soldier and Model Figure
