In March 1978, following a meeting between Algerians, Angolans and activists of the National Front for the Liberation of Congo, Zaire secret services are aware of the possibility of a destabilization in the region of Shaba region rich in strategic raw materials important (copper, cobalt, uranium and radium).
For several months, the Soviet Union buys any cobalt that is on the open market.
This information will only be taken out by Western intelligence services. L'homme qui doit mener cette action est Nathaniel Mbumba . The man who must carry out this action is Nathaniel Mbumba.
His militia, the "Tigers", are assisted by officers Cuban and East German.
The neighboring region, the Katanga, had revolted against the dictator Mobutu, on 11 May 1978, a group of about 3 to 4 000 Katangan well-armed rebels, who came of Angola carried by the 2nd Division through the Cuban Zambia , neutral country, took hostage about 3 000 European and committing atrocities, especially since 16 May, after intervention by the paratroopers of Zaire [1]
s. A platoon of Panhard AML 60 of the Zairean army then joined the rebels.
Between 90 to 280 Europeans were killed (estimated).
From May 15, several hundred rebels left the city in vehicles stolen, only 500 men led by Cubans. La plupart sont installés au quartier Manika et en banlieue. Most are installed in Manik district and suburbs.
The President Joseph-Désiré Mobutu called with the Belgium, France and the United States in particular.
The day after the resumption of the Kolwezi airport, Mobutu landed at an airport littered with smoldering carcasses to boost the morale of his troops, reassure the population and, above all, to show the corpses of a dozen in a crowded European Villa Room P2.
. This involves advertising macabre psychological blow to those who did not believe in the theory of Mobutu of external aggression, and serves to show the barbarity of which may be the rebels that reminds Western massacres in Kisangani in 1964 and encourages to intervene. Tout cela complété par des commentaires alarmistes de Mobutu de type « Mon Dieu, ce n'est pas possible » dans le quotidien Salongo de Bondo Nsama à Kinshasa. All this complemented by scaremongering Mobutu type "My God, this is not possible" in the daily Salongo Bondo NSAM in Kinshasa.
The views in Europe and in France in particular, accept the decision of the Elysée to conduct a military parachute.
According to Pierre Yambuya [2], the troops of Colonel Bosange allegedly been ordered to kill the Europeans of the villa P2, which were mostly Belgian, as accomplices of the rebels Katangan.
On 19 May to 14 h 30, a first wave of the French intervention force, composed of 405 men (the PC and three companies), jumps to 250 meters on the old racecourse.
Six men were wounded by small arms fire from the dump, another landing near his unit was killed and mutilated in the streets, without being able to undo his parachute.
. Immediately, violent street fighting starts, allowing delivery of Europeans held hostage or who had been hiding.
. A rebel column with AML, was stopped around 15 hours at the station by a firing rocket launchers.
For fast action overflowing, all the rebel groups are eliminated.
During the night, the rebels-attack against seeping into the urban fabric but are stopped by ambushes of the Legion.
On the night of 19 to 20, new fighting took place.
It was not until late at night, 30 to 6 pm, a second wave of 250 paratroopers of the legion is jettisoned (4th section and company lighting and recognition), whereas it was originally scheduled for the night of 19 to 20.
. Jumping to the east of the city, it takes back to the rebels, and is that part of the city in the morning. Ses hommes découvriront les massacres du quartier P2. His men will discover the massacres of the neighborhood P2.
On 20 May, the Belgian paratroopers land at the aerodrome of the plain 5 km from Kolwezi, 6 am to 30 am, are walking the road to Kolwezi and responded to shots fired by mistake by the French Foreign Legion, this incident have no casualties.
Legion leaves enter the Belgian paratroopers in Kolwezi. Ces derniers ont pour ordre de ne rester que 72 heures. These orders have to stay 72 hours.
They evacuated the airport to the Belgian and European nationals, to the exclusion of African nationals. I
Belgian troops will eventually more than a month in Katanga to supply food to the population of the region and ensure Kolwezi, in collaboration with the Moroccan troops, the maintenance of order.
At noon, the former hostages are evacuated by the airfield.
In the afternoon of May 20, the site of Metal-Shaba (Metalkat at the time) was also taken by the 2nd REP. The 200 rebels were forced to evacuate, but a non-commissioned officer, Sergeant-Chef Daniel, was killed during the clash.
The boldness and speed of execution of the operation provides a positive surprise to legionnaires who seized the city center in the wake. In two days, they took control of the city, release 2 800 citizens and evacuating the 21 May.
About 247 rebels were killed and 160 taken prisoner, and five legionnaires killed and twenty others wounded legionaires, 6 missing in the French military mission, a paratrooper and a Belgian para-commando died Morocco [4], there are 14 killed and 8 injured in Zaire 311th Parachute Battalion [5].
The legionaries were also a thousand small arms, 10 machine guns and 38 machine-guns, 4 guns, 15 mortars and 21 rocket launchers, and destroyed 2 AML.
Some 700 civilians and 170 African European died during the attempt of destabilization.
This is the first time the French army used in the operation of precision rifle FR-F1.
This rescue shows the efficiency of light troops parachuted when benefit of surprise during a well-prepared (intelligence, rapid design and implementation, logistics).
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