The answer is the First Congo War. This regional conflict in central Africa lasted from 1996 to 1997 and involved several African nations supporting different rebel groups vying for control of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as Zaire. It marked the beginning of the complex and protracted conflicts in the region known as the Congo Wars.
Test Your Knowledge: The Legacy of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo