 The Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement was not successful in ending the war , and fighting resumed in September 1999 . The FAC 's performance continued to be poor and both the major offensives the Government launched in 2000 ended in costly defeats . President Kabila 's mismanagement was an important factor behind the FAC 's poor performance , with soldiers frequently going unpaid and unfed while the Government purchased advanced weaponry which could not be operated or maintained . The defeats in 2000 are believed to have been the cause of President Kabila 's assassination in January 2001 . Following the assassination , Joseph Kabila assumed the presidency and was eventually successful in negotiating an end to the war in 2002 @-@ 2003 . 
