The Second Congo War emerged after a series of conflicts in the Great Lakes region in Africa . The aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda and civil war in Burundi had resulted in a large-scale refugee crisis . Armed groups were conducting raids into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo , which ignited a series of ethnic conflicts amongst other factions in the east of the country between many armed groups and militia . The unstable political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( formerly Zaire ) further contributed to the conflict and as many as eight African countries became involved in what was known as " Africa 's World War "
genocide in Rwanda
Rwandan genocide
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1234