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| 1998, Aug. 2 |
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| With the military aid of Rwanda and Uganda, rebels threatened to overthrow dictatorial president Laurent Kabila. The insurrection was suppressed with the help of Angolan, Namibian, and Zimbabwean troops (See 1998, Oct. 21). The continued conflict involved seven nations and various rival factions and ethnic divisions, especially pro-Kabila Hutus and anti-Kabila Tutsis, whose conflicts resulted in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and in massacres that followed throughout the surrounding nations. Engulfing most of Central Africa, the crisis was referred to by some diplomats as Africa's first world war. | 1 |
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| 1999, July 12–14 |
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| An OAU summit in Algeria was held to address the great devastation of the Congo civil war and possible peace measures. | 2 |
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| Aug. 31 |
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| A cease-fire was reached as Congo, Angola, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe signed an accord to begin peace processes in the region. However, divisions within Tutsi rebel factions led Uganda and Rwanda into opposition in late August. A small war was begun between those two nations, with most of the fighting occurring in Congo's capital city, Kisangani; among those killed were many Congolese civilians. Rwanda and Uganda did not withdraw until June 19, 2000. | 3 |
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| Dec |
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| Pres. Kabila rejected former president of Botswana Sir Ketumile Masire as a political mediator in the Congo conflict, saying he was biased against Kabila's interests. Central Africa had become one of the UN's most active areas of concern as the war in Congo continued into 2000. | 4 |
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