Pool War
Pool War | |||||||
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![]() Location of Pool department in the Republic of the Congo | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Ninja militia | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Denis Sassou Nguesso | Frédéric Bintsamou | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
10,000[citation needed] | 3,000[citation needed] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
115 killed in total[1][2] 13,000 displaced[3] |
The Pool War[4] was a conflict between the Republic of the Congo and the Ninja militia in the Pool Department. Tensions grew between Frédéric Bintsamou (also known as Pastor Ntumi) and Congolese president Denis Sassou-Nguesso, after Bintsamou contested modifications to the constitution. Bintsamou was formerly a collaborator of Sassou-Nguesso.[5]
Between April 2016 and April 2017, a total of 115 people died in the conflict.[1] An estimated 13,000 people have been displaced as a result of the violence.[3]
Timeline
On 4 April 2016, the Congolese government accused the Ninja militia of attacking security forces. The militia denied the accusations, calling them false pretext for political suppression.[5] Violence continued with events such as shelling by the Congolese armed forces and attacks on trains by the Ninja militia.[6][7]
On 18 April 2017, 18 Congolese soldiers were killed by Ninja militiamen.[2]
The Congolese government and the Ninja militia signed a ceasefire agreement on 23 December 2017. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the Ninjas were to hand over their arms and cease their interference with trade between the cities of Brazzaville and Pointe Noire.[8]
References
- ^ a b "ACLED Version 7 (1997 – 2016)". Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ a b "Congo-Brazzaville : nouveaux accrochages, soldats tués… La traque du pasteur Ntumi s'enlise dans le Pool" (in French). 21 April 2017.
- ^ a b "République du Congo : près de 13.000 déplacés par les violences dans la Province du Pool" (in French). United Nations Radio. 9 December 2016.
- ^ "Congo-Brazzaville : La "guerre du Pool" ravage le pays" (in French). 25 May 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Congo-Brazzaville : "Ne ramassez pas les corps !"" (in French). Paris Match. 15 September 2016.
- ^ Ngoussou, Ngouela (9 February 2017). "Des incidents dans le Pool empêchent le bon fonctionnement du CFCO au Congo". VOA Africa (in French). Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ "Congo-Brazzaville: la partie de chasse de Sassou Nguesso" (in French). Paris Match. 13 October 2016.
- ^ McAllister, Edward; Elion, Christian; Powell, Stephen (24 December 2017). "Congo Republic signs peace accord with". Reuters Africa. Retrieved 15 August 2018.