The First Congo War referred to by some as the Great Wars of Africa or the African World Wars , began in 1996 with an invasion of the Congo-Zaire by its bordering states and Congolese rebel groups . The eastern part of Congo suffered destabilization as a result of the Rwandan genocide , as many rebels , refugees and war criminals fled across the border from Rwanda in order to escape consequences of the conflicts during the genocide . As Mobutu Sese Seko 's regime lost control of the eastern part of the country , a Congolese leader named Laurent-Désiré Kabila sought help from neighboring states in order to overthrow Mobutu 's dictatorship . After successfully removing Mobutu from power with the help of Hutu and Tutsi forces in 1997 , Kabila proclaimed himself president and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Disagreements between Kabila and his former allies Rwanda and Uganda over compensation and the future relationships of the neighboring states led to a growing sense of vulnerability as the Rwandan and Ugandan armies used to defeat Mobutu 's army now stood uncontested in the capital Kinshasa
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
Truth and Reconciliation commission DRC