Angola's Role In The Pacification Of The African Great Lakes Region

The African Great Lakes Region has been a region of profound turmoil and conflict throughout its postcolonial history,due to various reasons,ranging from weak states and weak democratic institutions,natural resources exploitations,ethnic violence,external interventions and conflict spill overs.Countries from the GLR,such as DRC,Burundi,Uganda,Rwanda have all had a foray of conflicts during the Cold War period.That led scholars to state that most conflicts that took place in the region and the continent were proxy wars.Out of all the wars that took place in the region,the DRC,has been the most conflict affected country specially in the eastern part of the country,as neighbouring countries would often violate the DRC territorial sovereignty under the pretext of pursuing rebel groups who would find refuge in the Congolese jungles and setup rear bases,which they would use to conduct their operations and prepare attacks on government forces of neighbouring countries.In this paper we examine the role of Angola in the pacification of the African Great Lakes region,particularly in the DRC.We examine the reasons that led Angola to interfere in the Congo Wars both military and diplomatically.The main objective of this research is to provide reasons for Angola's involvement in the conflicts in the 90 s and later diplomatically.My main argument is that Angola's involvement in the pacification of the region has to do with its material interests,such as economic factors,national security threats and regional stability.DRC has had a long history of violent conflicts throughout its postcolonial history,which range from ethnic conflicts,coups,external interference and insurgencies by militia groups.These conflicts have had tremendous negative effects throughout the continent and in particular its neighbours,Angola being one of those countries that is directly affected by these conflicts.The decline of the Zaire states in the 80 s,which culminated to the ousting of Mobutu,by the rebel forces of AFDL of president Kabila,supported by Angola,Rwanda,Uganda,Burundi,caused a major conflict that became to be none as the African world war,who's consequences are still very much felt today in DRC.Although the war formally ended in 2003,insurgent groups did not cease their operations in the DRC.