# List of wars involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This is a list of wars involving the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

## Congo Free State (1885–1908)

| Conflict | Combatants | Combatants | Result | Sovereign |
| Stairs Expedition (1891–1892) | Congo Free State | Yeke Kingdom | Victory Msiri killed, end of the Yeke Kingdom | Leopold II of Belgium |
| Congo–Arab War (1892–1894) | Congo Free State | Slave traders | Victory Swahili-Arab power in Congo shattered | Leopold II of Belgium |
| Batetela Rebellion (1895–1908) | Congo Free State | Tetela rebels | Victory | Leopold II of Belgium |
| Mahdist War (1896–1899) | United Kingdom Congo Free State Ethiopia Italy | Mahdist Sudan | Victory Congo secures the Lado Enclave | Leopold II of Belgium |

## Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) (1960–1971)

| Conflict | Combatants | Combatants | Result | President |
| Congo Crisis (1960–1965) | Congo-Léopoldville ONUC  Ireland  Sweden  Norway  India  Nigeria  Ethiopia | Katanga South Kasai Belgium Congo-Stanleyville | West-Congolese victory (Phase 1) Katanga and South Kasai reincorporated into the Congo, Stanleyville government exiled | Joseph Kasa-Vubu |
| Congo Crisis (1960–1965) | Congo-Léopoldville Belgium United States | Simba Maoists Uganda Cuba | Government victory (Phase 2) Defeat of the Simba Rebellion | Joseph Kasa-Vubu |
| First Stanleyville Mutiny (1966) | Congo-Léopoldville | Mutineers | Victory Mutiny crushed | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| Second Stanleyville Mutiny (1967) | Congo-Léopoldville | Mutineers | Victory Mutiny crushed | Mobutu Sese Seko |

## Zaire (1971–1997)

| Conflict | Combatants | Combatants | Result | President |
| Angolan Civil War (1975–1979) | FNLA UNITA FLEC South Africa Zaire | MPLA Cuba | Defeat Non-aggression pact, Zairian withdrawal from Angola, demise of the FNLA | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| Shaba I (1977) | Zaire Morocco Egypt | FNLC | Victory FNCL expelled from Katanga | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| Shaba II (1978) | Zaire France Belgium Morocco | FNLC | Victory Non-aggression pact of 1979 | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| Chadian–Libyan Conflict (1983–1987) | Chad France Zaire | Libya GUNT | Victory Islamic Legion pushed out of Chad | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| Rwandan Civil War (1990–1991) | Rwanda France Zaire | FPR | Withdrawal (1991) FPR takeover of Rwanda in 1994 | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| First Congo War (1996–1997) | Zaire FAZ White Legion  Sudan Chad Ex-FAR/ALiR Interahamwe CNDD-FDD UNITA ADF FLNC Supported by: France Central African Republic China Israel Kuwait (denied) Mai-Mai | AFDL Rwanda Uganda Burundi Angola SPLA Eritrea Supported by: South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe Ethiopia Tanzania United States (covertly) Mai-Mai | AFDL victory Overthrow of the Mobutu regime Zaire renamed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Installation of Laurent-Désiré Kabila as president Beginning of Second Congo War | Mobutu Sese Seko |

## Democratic Republic of the Congo (from 1997)

| Conflict | Combatants | Combatants | Result | President |
| Congo-Brazzaville Civil War (1997–1999) | Lissouba Government Ninja Militia DR Congo | Nguesso Government Angola Chad | Defeat Return to power of Denis Sassou Nguesso | Laurent-Désiré Kabila |
| Ituri conflict (1999-2003) | Lendu ethnic group: FNI FRPI CODECO FPJC Mai-Mai Simba ADF IS-CAP Mai-Mai Kyandenga | Hema ethnic group: UPC RCD/K-ML FAPC  Uganda  DR Congo (FARDC) UN (MONUC) EU (Artemis) | Ongoing Ongoing | Joseph Kabila (2001–2019) Félix Tshisekedi (since 2019) |
| Second Congo War (1998–2003) | DR Congo Angola Chad Namibia Zimbabwe FDLR RDR ALiR Interahamwe Mai-Mai LRA UNRF II ADF FNI FROLINA CNDD-FDD | RCD RCD-Goma Banyamulenge MLC FFR UPC Uganda Rwanda Burundi UNITA | Stalemate Creation of a unified, multi-party government The Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is established, deployment of MONUC Continuation of the Ituri conflict until 2007 Start of the Kivu conflict | Laurent-Désiré Kabila |
| Kivu Conflict (2004–2009) | DR Congo Mai-Mai Zimbabwe Angola | CNDP | Victory CNDP integrated into the FARDC | Joseph Kabila |
| LRA Insurgency (2005–present) | Uganda South Sudan DR Congo Central African Republic | LRA | Ongoing Small scale LRA activity continues in eastern DRC, and the CAR | Joseph Kabila |
| Dongo Rebellion (2009) | DR Congo Rwanda | RPD | Victory Rwandan-Congolese forces recaptured Dongo | Joseph Kabila |
| Katanga Insurgency (2011–present) | DR Congo Benin Egypt | Mai Mai Kata Katanga | Ongoing Exodus of around 600,000 refugees | Joseph Kabila |
| M23 Rebellion (2012–2013) | Democratic Republic of the Congo MONUSCO Force Intervention Brigade  South Africa  Tanzania  Malawi | March 23 Movement Alleged support:  Uganda Rwanda | Victory M23 disarms and demobilises | Joseph Kabila |
| ADF Insurgency (2013–present) | DR Congo Uganda South Africa Tanzania Malawi | ADF | Ongoing UNF Intervention Brigade actively confront the ADF from January 2014 | Joseph Kabila |
| Séléka Rebellion (2013–present) | Central African Republic South Africa France DR Congo Angola Cameroon Chad Congo-Brazzaville Gabon | Séléka Anti-balaka | Ongoing President Michel Djotodia resigns and is replaced by Catherine Samba-Panza | Joseph Kabila |
| Kamwina Nsapu Rebellion (2016–2019) | DR Congo | Kamwina Nsapu Militia | Victory Disunited rebel groups eventually subdued | Joseph Kabila |