SUMMARY

Between October 1996 and May 1997 an intrastate conflict was fought in Zaire with the aim of overthrowing the government of President Mobutu. The AFDL (Alliance des forces démocratiques pour la libération du Congo, Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo) rebel group was an alliance strongly supported by the country's neighbors Rwanda, Uganda and Angola. All three of these countries had a dual aim, getting rid of rebel outfits based on Zairian territory and at the same time establishing a friendly government in Zaire.

From the beginning of the conflict rumors of numerous massacres of primarily Hutu refugees, accused of committing the Rwandan genocide, reached the world. AFDL reportedly rather killed than took prisoners on their way towards Kinshasa. Most massacres were reported from the Kivu regions, both Rwandan, Burundian refugees and Congolese civilians were the targets. However, these attacks on refugee camps in eastern Zaire were only the beginning of a series of attacks on camps set up as refugees fled westward into the interior of the country.

According to villagers from areas where the AFDL had advanced the group immediately asked for refugees upon arrival only to hunt them down and kill them.

AFDL first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 1996, when the one-sided violence resulted in at least 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in September that year when the group massacred Zairean civilians in the town of Epombo where over 400 civilians were killed.