hannibal
19th September 2005, 20:22
The French and Belgian Intervention in Zaire in 1978
by
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas P. Odom
I. INTRODUCTION
Another dawn broke in the Zairian mining town of Kolwezi on 13 May 1978. Normally on the Saturday before Pentecost, the 3,000 foreign residents would be anticipating a relaxing weekend at home or with friends and family at the nearby lake. Most would have slept late and enjoyed the day off. In any case, no one would have expected to do anything in a hurry. After all, one who works in Africa soon comes to embrace its pace of life.
But the 13th was not to be just another day for Kolwezi. The town had been through a restless evening; an atmosphere of tension had hung over the city. Dogs had barked all night, and the expatriates found themselves waking repeatedly to glance at bedside clocks in anticipation of morning.
By 0500, the sun was climbing. Some of the foreigners were awake and preparing breakfast. Some looking out their doors found the streets unusually empty for a market day, when everyone tries to be the first customer and get the best price. The streets were not empty for long, however. Shortly after dawn, firing broke out in different parts of the city. That, in itself, was not too disturbing. The Zairian Army was known for its habit of firing ammunition for all sorts of reasons. But when the firing grew in intensity and Zairian soldiers began running through the streets pursued by soldiers in different uniforms, it was clear that this would not be just another weekend in Kolwezi.
Death had descended on the mining town, and many of its residents, native and foreign, had less than a week left to live. Soon, the city would become a charnel house with several hundred dead scattered through its streets. Four different armies would clash in Kolwezi during the coming days. Once again, people would shake their heads and mutter, "C'est l' Afrique!"
Since the end of World War II, the use of the threat of terrorism particularly that of hostage taking-has grown increasingly serious. Governments have struggled to find the best means of dealing with such episodes, and the burden has often fallen on military forces. When one mentions hostage rescues, people are usually reminded of the daring Entebbe rescue by the Israelis or the less fortunate Desert One attempt by the United States. Few know of the Dragon operations in 1964 by the Belgian Paracommando Regiment and the U.S. Air Force, the first hostage rescues since World War II. The Dragon missions were the longest in range and the most successful operations, saving over 2,000 hostages from execution by the Simba rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Of those few who recall the Dragon operations of 1964, even fewer realize that 1978 saw a repeat performance by the Belgian Paracommando Regiment along with France's 2éme Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2d R.E.P.). In May 1978, the French, the Belgians, and the Zairian armed forces were forced to rescue expatriates in the mining center of Kolwezi, Zaire. The operations that ensued could by no means be called combined operations, as political differences prohibited cooperation among the forces involved. Instead, each country conducted independent operations, providing a truly unique opportunity for military analysts and historians to study each military's approach to the crisis in Zaire [ . . . ]
URL: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
ETAT DES TUES ET DES BLESSES DU 2° REP PENDANT LES OPERATIONS DE KOLWEZI (Mai 1978)
1) - TUES (KILLED IN ACTION) :
Sergent-chef DANIEL
Caporal ARNOLD (He was the 2e REP's first casualty. I believe he was Englishman)
Légionnaire CLÉMENT
Caporal HARTE
Caporal-chef ALLIOUI
2) - BLESSES (WOUNDED IN ACTION):
Sgt CABROL 2° Cie
C/C SENEKOVIC 2° Cie
Cpl OVACICK 2° Cie
Lég. SEEGER 2° Cie
Cpl PRUDENCE 4° Cie
Lég. SORAL 1° Cie
Lég. MARCO 1° Cie
Lég. GILBERT CCS
Cpl PAIN 1° Cie
Lég. RODRIGUEZ 3° Cie
Cpl DALLET 2° Cie
Lég. SVOBODA 3° Cie
Lég. FORESTIER 3° Cie
Cpl COURSON 3° Cie
Lt RAYMOND 2° Cie
Lég. DEMONT CAE
Cpl MUNOZ CAE
Lég. JAKOVIC 4° Cie
Lég. BECKER CAE
Cpl BAREDA 2° Cie
by
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas P. Odom
I. INTRODUCTION
Another dawn broke in the Zairian mining town of Kolwezi on 13 May 1978. Normally on the Saturday before Pentecost, the 3,000 foreign residents would be anticipating a relaxing weekend at home or with friends and family at the nearby lake. Most would have slept late and enjoyed the day off. In any case, no one would have expected to do anything in a hurry. After all, one who works in Africa soon comes to embrace its pace of life.
But the 13th was not to be just another day for Kolwezi. The town had been through a restless evening; an atmosphere of tension had hung over the city. Dogs had barked all night, and the expatriates found themselves waking repeatedly to glance at bedside clocks in anticipation of morning.
By 0500, the sun was climbing. Some of the foreigners were awake and preparing breakfast. Some looking out their doors found the streets unusually empty for a market day, when everyone tries to be the first customer and get the best price. The streets were not empty for long, however. Shortly after dawn, firing broke out in different parts of the city. That, in itself, was not too disturbing. The Zairian Army was known for its habit of firing ammunition for all sorts of reasons. But when the firing grew in intensity and Zairian soldiers began running through the streets pursued by soldiers in different uniforms, it was clear that this would not be just another weekend in Kolwezi.
Death had descended on the mining town, and many of its residents, native and foreign, had less than a week left to live. Soon, the city would become a charnel house with several hundred dead scattered through its streets. Four different armies would clash in Kolwezi during the coming days. Once again, people would shake their heads and mutter, "C'est l' Afrique!"
Since the end of World War II, the use of the threat of terrorism particularly that of hostage taking-has grown increasingly serious. Governments have struggled to find the best means of dealing with such episodes, and the burden has often fallen on military forces. When one mentions hostage rescues, people are usually reminded of the daring Entebbe rescue by the Israelis or the less fortunate Desert One attempt by the United States. Few know of the Dragon operations in 1964 by the Belgian Paracommando Regiment and the U.S. Air Force, the first hostage rescues since World War II. The Dragon missions were the longest in range and the most successful operations, saving over 2,000 hostages from execution by the Simba rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Of those few who recall the Dragon operations of 1964, even fewer realize that 1978 saw a repeat performance by the Belgian Paracommando Regiment along with France's 2éme Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes (2d R.E.P.). In May 1978, the French, the Belgians, and the Zairian armed forces were forced to rescue expatriates in the mining center of Kolwezi, Zaire. The operations that ensued could by no means be called combined operations, as political differences prohibited cooperation among the forces involved. Instead, each country conducted independent operations, providing a truly unique opportunity for military analysts and historians to study each military's approach to the crisis in Zaire [ . . . ]
URL: [Only registered and activated users can see links]
ETAT DES TUES ET DES BLESSES DU 2° REP PENDANT LES OPERATIONS DE KOLWEZI (Mai 1978)
1) - TUES (KILLED IN ACTION) :
Sergent-chef DANIEL
Caporal ARNOLD (He was the 2e REP's first casualty. I believe he was Englishman)
Légionnaire CLÉMENT
Caporal HARTE
Caporal-chef ALLIOUI
2) - BLESSES (WOUNDED IN ACTION):
Sgt CABROL 2° Cie
C/C SENEKOVIC 2° Cie
Cpl OVACICK 2° Cie
Lég. SEEGER 2° Cie
Cpl PRUDENCE 4° Cie
Lég. SORAL 1° Cie
Lég. MARCO 1° Cie
Lég. GILBERT CCS
Cpl PAIN 1° Cie
Lég. RODRIGUEZ 3° Cie
Cpl DALLET 2° Cie
Lég. SVOBODA 3° Cie
Lég. FORESTIER 3° Cie
Cpl COURSON 3° Cie
Lt RAYMOND 2° Cie
Lég. DEMONT CAE
Cpl MUNOZ CAE
Lég. JAKOVIC 4° Cie
Lég. BECKER CAE
Cpl BAREDA 2° Cie