Operation Atlantic (Democratic Republic of Congo)
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| Operation Atlantic | |||||
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| Part of Second Congo War | |||||
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| Belligerents | |||||
Operation Atlantic was the codename for Namibia's participation in the Second Congo War under the SADC banner.[2] The Namibian Defence Force was tasked to participate alongside Zimbabwe and Angola to help the Government of DRC to repel the Rwanda backed rebels.
The war initially erupted when Congolese president Laurent-Désiré Kabila turned against his former allies from Rwanda and Uganda, who had helped him seize power.[3] The conflict expanded as Kabila rallied a coalition of other countries to his defense. The war drew in nine African nations and approximately 25 armed groups, making it one of the largest wars in African history.[4]
Units involved
Namibian Army
The Namibian Army deployed a battle group during the Second Congo War that numbered about 2000 troops and consisted of Infantry, Artillery, Signals Detachments. The first commander of the battle group was Brigadier James Auala.[5][6] 11 soldiers that had been cut off and surrounded after whilst defending Lusambo with allied Zimbabwean soldiers on 7 June 1999, whilst 37 DRC soldiers defected to the rebel side in this battle.[7] This battle was part of a rebel offensive aimed at Mbuji-Mayi that is 120 km north east of Lusambo.[8][9] In 1998, Namibian and Zimbabwean soldiers were encircled in the town of Ikela as the DRC brigade they went to bolster defected to the rebels. The Allied Namibian and Zimbabwean soldiers would remain encircled for over a year and replenishment was only possible via the air.
Namibian Air Force
Known as the Namibian Defence Force Air Wing at the time, Harbin Y-12 transport aircraft were deployed to the DRC. They were used on logistics supply missions within the DRC as well as withdrawing Namibian troops at the end of the war. The Air Wing also deployed Allouete helicopters for support operations.
