In the First Congo War, support from Rwanda and Uganda enabled Congolese rebels, Laurent-Désiré-Kabila, to overthrow the government of Mobutu Sese Seko, but after Kabila was installed as the new president, they cut ties with Rwanda and Uganda, and they invaded the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Starting with the Second Congo War and within a few months at least nine African countries were involved in the conflict in the Congo and by its end nearly 20 rebel groups were fighting until it became one of the deadliest conflicts in modern history, when Kabila became the first president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who She helped bring him to power and exerted great influence on him. Kabila appointed the Rwandan officers and soldiers who had taken part in the rebellion within the new Congolese army (the Congolese Armed Forces).

In the first year, he pursued policies regarding continued unrest in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that were consistent with the aims of Rwanda. Despite this, the Rwandan soldiers hated many of the Congolese and Kabila was constantly caught between the wrath of the international community and of Congolese and foreign supporters, and in July 27, 1998, Kabila dealt with the situation by calling for all foreign soldiers to leave Congo

In a surprise radio announcement, Kabila cut his arms to Rwanda, and Rwanda responded by invading Rwanda a week later on August 2, 1998 AD by moving, the conflict in the Congo turned into the Second Congo War, and there were a number of factors that drove Rwanda’s decision but among the main factors was the continuation of violence against Tutsis in eastern Congo.

Many have also argued that Rwanda, one of the most populous countries in Africa, harbors visions of claiming a part of eastern Congo to itself, but has not made any clear steps in this direction, instead arming and supporting a rebel group composed mainly of Congolese Tutsis and Rally Congolese for Democracy.

Rwandan forces made rapid strides in eastern Congo, but instead of advancing across the country they simply tried to overthrow Kabila by flying men and weapons to an airfield near the capital, Kinshasa, in the far western Democratic Republic of the Congo near the Atlantic. The time was Angola and Zimbabwe who attended his defense, and Zimbabwe was motivated by its recent investments in Congolese mines and contracts obtained from the Kabila government.

Angola's participation was political, and Angola had been embroiled in a civil war since decolonization in 1975. The government feared that if Rwanda succeeded in overthrowing Kabila, the Democratic Republic of the Congo might once again become a safe haven for UNITA forces, an armed opposition group inside Angola, and the intervention of Angola and Zimbabwe. Crucially, between them the three countries also managed to secure aid in the form of weapons and soldiers from Namibia, Sudan (which was opposed to Rwanda), Chad and Libya.

With these combined forces, Kabila and his allies were able to stop the Rwandan-backed attack on the capital, but the Second Congo War only entered a stalemate between the countries that quickly led to exploitation as the war entered its next phase.