Dashed left edge = started before October 1996 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond October 1996
Events in October 1996 1
1996First Congo War BeginsRebellion led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila rises against Mobutu's ZaireAn armed rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda broke out in eastern Zaire, led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila's Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo. The uprising exploited unrest tied to the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and widespread discontent with Mobutu Sese Seko's long rule. It grew into a continent-spanning war that toppled Mobutu the following year.