Battle Of Kolwezi
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The Battle of Kolwezi was an airborne operation by French and Belgian airborne forces that took place in May 1978 in Zaire during the Shaba II invasion of Zaire by the Front for the National Liberation of the Congo (FLNC). It aimed at rescuing European and Zairean hostages held by FLNC rebels after they conquered the city of Kolwezi. The operation succeeded with the liberation of the hostages and light military casualties.


Context


Situation of Kolwezi

The city of Kolwezi is situated in the ore-rich region of Shaba (now Lualaba), in the South-East of
Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...
(now the
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
). In 1978, the city held 100,000 inhabitants in a 40 km2 urban area, with city quarters, separated by hills. It is a strategic spot, as it lies on important roads and railroad lines that link
Lubumbashi Lubumbashi ( , ; former ; former ) is the second-largest Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital ...
to Dilolo. There is an airport from the center of the city.


Hostage taking by rebels

In March 1978, a meeting took place between Algerian and Angolan officials and militants of the FLNC. Zairian intelligence was made aware of a possible destabilisation operation in the Shaba region, which had a high value because of its mines of precious materials like
copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
,
cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. ...
,
uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
and
radium Radium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in alkaline earth metal, group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, ...
. For some months the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
had been purchasing all the cobalt available on the free market, but western intelligence did not connect this to the upcoming crisis. The FLNC operation was to be headed by . In May 1978, an uprising took place in Shaba against President
Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga ( ; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997), often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer ...
. On 11 May, a 3,000 to 4,000 man strong FLNC rebel group arrived. The FLNC was supported by foreign mercenaries.Gilbert, Adrian. ''Voices of the Foreign Legion: The History of the World's Most Famous Fighting Corps''. Skyhorse Publishing 2010. Departing from Angola, it had crossed neutral
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
. Upon arriving, they took about 3,000 Europeans as hostages and carried out various executions, particularly after the intervention of Zairian paratroopers on 15 May. Between 90 and 280 Europeans were killed. From 15 May, hundreds of rebels started departing the city in stolen vehicles, leaving only 500 men, most of whom were garrisoned in the quarter of Manika and in the suburbs. Mobutu requested foreign assistance from Belgium, France and the United States; the French advisor René Journiac was swiftly sent to Kinshasa. These powers saw the uprising as proof of a Soviet offensive and decided that an armed intervention was necessary to keep Zaire in the pro-Western camp. An agreement to intervene was struck between France,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
, Zaire and the US. While Western authorities believed that the rebel forces were "manipulated by the Soviets" and assisted by officers from the socialist states of
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
and the GDR, more recent research has shown that the Katangan rebels "had few connections with the Cuban army or advisors stationed in Angola". Archival documents also suggest that Zairian authorities deliberately exaggerated the threat of Soviet influence to ensure French aid.


Franco-Belgian operation


Preparation

On 16 May at 00:45, the French 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, led by Colonel Philippe Erulin, was put on alert. A meeting took place in
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
between Belgian and French officials to coordinate a common operation. The meeting was a failure, as the French wanted to deploy their forces to neutralise the rebels and secure the city, while the Belgians wanted to evacuate foreigners. Eventually the Belgian Paracommando Regiment was sent independently. Meanwhile, elements of the planned operation started to leak into the press, causing fears that surprise would be lost if swift action were not taken. On 17 May, soldiers of the 2e REP embarked in four DC-8s of the French airline UTA and were flown from Solenzara in Corsica to
Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...
. Heavy equipment followed in a
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an early American long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype, the initial first flew on Decembe ...
, arriving on the 18th at 23:15. Preparation took place at Kinshasa military airport, notably instruction in using American parachutes that took place on the night of 18/19 May. A briefing also took place, given by Colonel Yves Gras, the French military attaché in Kinshasa. At 11:00, the first wave took off in two French Transalls and four Zairian
C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...
. Meanwhile, the Belgian Paracommandos were regrouping in Kamina. The first C-130 of the Belgian Air Force took off on 18 May at 13:15 from Melsbroek Air Base, bound for Kamina via Kinshasa. At the time authorisation for the crossing of French airspace had not yet been given, and it was obtained just as the third C-130 was taking off. Thirty-six hours afterwards, the Paracommando Regiment was deployed in Zaire and ready for action.


French ''Bonite'' (or ''Léopard'') and Belgian ''Red Bean'' Operations

On 19 May the 2e REP were flown from Kinshasa to Kolwezi, away. At 14:30, a 450-man first wave jumped from a altitude into the old
hippodrome Hippodrome is a term sometimes used for public entertainment venues of various types. A modern example is the Hippodrome which opened in London in 1900 "combining circus, hippodrome, and stage performances". The term hippodroming refers to fr ...
of the city. The drop was performed under fire from light infantry weapons, and six men were wounded as they landed, while another was isolated from his unit, killed and mutilated in the street before even removing his parachute. A violent firefight ensued in the streets, while French snipers started picking out threatening rebels, killing 10 of them at with the FR F1 sniper rifle. European hostages and those who had been able to hide started to come under the control and protection of the French. At 15:00, rebel armour attempted a counter-attack with three captured Panhard AML armoured cars, which legionnaires met with rocket and small arms fire. The lead AML-60 was knocked out at a range of 50 metres by an LRAC F1; a second AML discharged a single 90mm shell at its assailants before withdrawing. At 18:00, the city was under French control and mostly secured. During the night, rebels attempted to infiltrate but were stopped by an ambush prepared by the French Foreign Legion. On the night of 19/20 May, further fighting occurred. On the 20th, at 06:30, another wave of 250 paratroopers (the 4th company and the exploration and reconnaissance section) was dropped east of the city, taking rebel positions from behind and occupying this part of the city before noon. This group entered the P2 quarter and discovered the massacres that had occurred there. On 20 May, the Paracommando Regiment landed on the airport and headed towards the city on foot. Elements of the French Foreign Legion opened fire and a few exchanges occurred before the units identified each other; the incident did not cause casualties. The Belgians then entered Kolwezi and started evacuating Europeans towards the airport, leaving the securing of the city to the French. The first hostages were evacuated to Europe at noon. The day after the airport was retaken, Mobutu arrived in person to boost troop morale and reassure the population; he seized the opportunity to parade several European corpses in Villa P2. This struck Western public opinion and led to a widespread acceptance of the decision by the Elysée to launch the operation. Pierre Yambuya later reported that the Europeans of Villa P2 had in fact been executed by troops of Colonel Bosange because Mobutu wished to provoke an international intervention. Initially ordered to stay for 72 hours at most, the Belgians ended up staying over a month, along with Moroccan troops, supplying the population with food and maintaining order. On the afternoon of 20 May, Metalkat (now Metal-Shaba) was taken by the 2 REP, forcing 200 rebels away. Sergent-Chef Daniel was killed during the fight. This swift operation provided the paratroops with the surprise element that they exploited, capturing the centre of the city. Within two days, the entire city was under control, and 2,800 Europeans were secured and evacuated on 21 May.


Relief

The entire region soon came under control of French and Belgian paratroops, until they were relieved by an Inter-African Force (''Force Interafricaine'') led by 1,500 soldiers from Morocco and comprising Senegal (560–600), Togo, and Gabon. Other contributors to the force included Côte d'Ivoire who dispatched about 200 medics. Between the departure of the French and the arrival of the Inter-African force, Kolwezi was under control of Mobutu's force, who arrested and executed hundreds, labeled as "rebels". The force was under the command of the Moroccan Colonel-Major Khader Loubaris, and the Senegalese contingent was under the command of Colonel Osmane Ndoye. The Senegalese force comprised a parachute battalion from Thiaroye.


Outcome

During the entire incident, 700 African civilians and between 120 and 170 European expats were killed, largely in massacres by the FLNC. Around 2,000 Europeans, and 3,000 Africans were evacuated during the operation. Among the FLNC fighters, about 400 were killed and 160 taken prisoner, while 1,500 light and heavy weapons were seized, notably 10 heavy machine guns, 38 light machine guns, four artillery pieces, 15 mortars and 21 rocket launchers. Two Panhard armoured cars of the Zairean security forces were also captured or destroyed. Five French soldiers were killed and 25 were wounded with the 2 REP, whereas six went missing at the French military mission. One Belgian paratrooper was also killed. The 311th Zairian Paratrooper Battalion saw 14 casualties and eight injuries.''Opération Léopard - Kolwezi 17 mai-16 juin 1978'', Chemins de mémoire
/ref> The operation was an illustration of the efficiency and effectiveness of light infantry when used with the element of surprise and with good intelligence and logistics. Mobutu's regime was strengthened and Franco-Zairian military cooperation was increased. French industrial groups, notably Thomson-CSF, CGE, and Péchiney, signed new contracts in Zaire shortly after the operation.


Notes


See also

* List of massacres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo


References


Filmography

* '' La Légion saute sur Kolwezi'', by Raoul Coutard (1980) * ''Kolwezi, la part de la Légion'', by Frédéric Bouquet - ECPAD - Available from www.ecpad.fr


Bibliography

* ''Légion je t'accuse, La face cachée de Kolwezi'', by Roger Rousseau

Ed. Rexy, 2006 * ''Kolwezi L'Avènement d'un officier sans Honneur'', by Raymond Regnier

Ed. Rexy, 2008 Note: "Roger Rousseau" and "Raymond Regnier" are both pseudonyms of the same person, a former legionary of the 3rd company 2 REP who deserted. * Pierre Sergent, ''La Légion saute sur Kolwezi'' Opération Léopard, Presses de la cité, 1978 * Général Gausserès, ''Les enseignements de Kolwezi - Mai 1978'', Cahiers du Retex n° 12
supplément à Objectif doctrine 37
(PDF) (published by the Centre de doctrine de l'emploi des forces, French Ministry of Defence). p 27-31. * ''Ligne de Front'' n°1, September 2006, "''1978, le REP saute sur Kolwezi'' * Kanyarwunga Jean, ''République démocratique du Congo: Les générations condamnées'', Publibook, 2006. .


External links

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*

*
''Shaba II: The French and Belgian Intervention in Zaire in 1978'', Lieutenant Colonel Thomas P. Odom, US Army
* (updated URL

*
Television reports
Institut national de l'audiovisuel *
online book by Jean I.N. Kanyarwunga, ''République démocratique du Congo'' Publibook 2006
*
Article in Strategy & Tactics #231, Nov/Dec 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolwezi 1978 in France Kolwezi Battles involving France Battles involving Belgium Battles involving Zaire 1978 in Zaire Battles involving the French Foreign Legion May 1978 in Africa Battles in 1978 20th-century mass murder in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Massacres in 1978 Massacres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Hostage taking in Africa Communism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Hostage rescue operations involving France