And I'm Curt Parker. Most wars in Africa in the past fifty years have been civil wars, fought between rival groups within a single country. But a six-month long war in Congo is changing that and threatening to pull much of Africa into a long and violent struggle. Until 1997, Congo, was known as Zaire. Since its name was changed it's sometimes confused with a smaller country called the Congo Republic which borders Congo to the west.
Congo is Africa's second largest country.
It's about the size of all the countries of western Europe combined. But its interior is undeveloped, so there are few roads or communication lines to link one side of the country to the other. As a result, Congo is not a unified country. In fact, the eastern third of Congo is controlled by rebels who are fighting to overthrow the government of President Laurent Kabila. The rebels are supported by troops and supplies from Uganda and Rwanda.