Pool War
{{Short description|2016–2017 conflict in the Republic of the Congo}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Not to be confused with|2002–2003 conflict in the Pool Department}}{{Infobox military conflict
| partof =
| image = Congo 2016.png
| caption = {{nowrap|Areas bombed by the Congolese army on 5 April 2016}}
| date = 4 April 2016 – 23 December 2017
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=4|day1=4|year1=2016|month2=12|day2=23|year2=2017}})
| place = Pool Department, Republic of the Congo
| status = Ceasefire
| territory =
| combatant1 = {{flag|Republic of the Congo}}
| combatant2 = Ninja militia
| commander1 = Denis Sassou Nguesso
| commander2 = Frédéric Bintsamou
| strength1 = Unknown number of servicemen
| strength2 = Unknown number of militants
| units1 = Armed Forces of the Republic of the Congo
| units2 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| casualties3 = 115 killed in total{{cite web|url=http://www.acleddata.com/data/acled-version-7-1997-2016/|title=ACLED Version 7 (1997 – 2016)|publisher=Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project|access-date=12 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012035203/https://www.acleddata.com/data/acled-version-7-1997-2016/|archive-date=12 October 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/431644/politique/congo-brazzaville-nouveaux-accrochages-soldat-tues-traque-pasteur-ntumi-senlise-pool/|title=Congo-Brazzaville : nouveaux accrochages, soldats tués… La traque du pasteur Ntumi s’enlise dans le Pool|language=French|date=21 April 2017|trans-title=Congo-Brazzaville: new skirmishes, soldiers killed ... Pastor Ntumi's stalking is bogged down in the Pool}}
13,000 displaced{{cite news|url=http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/french/2016/12/republique-du-congo-pres-de-13-000-deplaces-par-les-violences-dans-la-province-du-pool/#.WO4Wz_nyi9J|title=République du Congo : près de 13.000 déplacés par les violences dans la Province du Pool|date=9 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012035402/http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/french/2016/12/republique-du-congo-pres-de-13-000-deplaces-par-les-violences-dans-la-province-du-pool/#.Wd7nX7vP32e|archive-date=12 October 2017|publisher=United Nations Radio|language=French|trans-title=Republic of Congo: Nearly 13,000 displaced by violence in Pool Province}}
}}
The Pool War{{cite web|url=https://www.acaps.org/sites/acaps/files/products/files/20170606_acaps_briefing_note_congo_conflict_pool_department.pdf|title=Conflict in Pool region – Republic of Congo|publisher=ACAPS|date=2017}}{{cite news|title=Congo-Brazzaville : La "guerre du Pool" ravage le pays|url=http://nofi.fr/2017/05/congo-brazzaville-guerre-pool-ravage-pays/39122|date=25 May 2017|access-date=13 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616103333/http://nofi.fr/2017/05/congo-brazzaville-guerre-pool-ravage-pays/39122|archive-date=16 June 2018|language=French|trans-title=Congo-Brazzaville: The "Pool War" devastates the country}} was a conflict between the Republic of the Congo and the Ninja militia in the Pool Department in the southeastern part of the country. 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.parismatch.com/Actu/International/Congo-Brazzaville-N-allez-pas-ramassez-ces-corps-1068667|title=Congo-Brazzaville : "Ne ramassez pas les corps !"|date=15 September 2016|publisher=Paris Match|language=French|trans-title=Congo-Brazzaville: "Do not pick up bodies!"}}
Between April 2016 and April 2017, a total of 115 people died in the conflict. An estimated 13,000 people have been displaced as a result of the violence.
Background
In March 2016, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who ruled for more than 30 years over Congo-Brazzaville, was re-elected in the 2016 presidential election. After the victory of Nguesso was declared, the opposition claimed the election was a fraud and clashes broke out soon after, in the southern part of Brazzaville, three police officers and two gunmen were killed in the clashes. The government claimed the Ninjas were the raiders and they were responsible for the attacks. According to the following Tuesday's statement from the government 2 civilians and 12 assailants were killed. The government also stated that it arrested fifty ex-militants after an attack.{{cite news|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/special-report/2018/06/18/updated-congo-brazzaville-s-hidden-war|title=Congo-Brazzaville’s hidden war|website=The New Humanitarian|date=18 June 2018|access-date=3 November 2019}}
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. Violence continued with events such as shelling by the Congolese armed forces and attacks on trains by the Ninja militia.{{cite news|last1=Ngoussou|first1=Ngouela|title=Des incidents dans le Pool empêchent le bon fonctionnement du CFCO au Congo|url=https://www.voaafrique.com/a/des-incidents-dans-le-pool-empechent-le-bon-fonctionnement-du-cfco-au-congo/3716350.html|access-date=15 August 2018|website=VOA Africa|date=9 February 2017|language=French|trans-title=Incidents in the Pool prevent the CFCO from working in the Congo}}{{cite news|url=http://www.parismatch.com/Actu/International/Congo-Brazzaville-Sassou-Nguesso-pompier-pyromane-1093963|title=Congo-Brazzaville: la partie de chasse de Sassou Nguesso|date=13 October 2016|publisher=Paris Match|language=French|trans-title=Congo-Brazzaville: the hunting party of Sassou Nguesso}} On 18 April 2017, 18 Congolese soldiers were killed by Ninja militiamen. 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.{{cite news|last1=McAllister|first1=Edward|last2=Elion |first2=Christian|last3=Powell|first3=Stephen |title=Congo Republic signs peace accord with |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFKBN1EI07E-OZATP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229112330/https://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFKBN1EI07E-OZATP|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 December 2017|access-date=15 August 2018|website=Reuters Africa|date=24 December 2017}}
Aftermath
Despite the end of the war, it wasn't until November 2018 that the Congo-Ocean Railway traffic was resumed.{{cite news|url=https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/africa/Congo-s-bread-basket-struggles-to-recover-from-conflict/3302426-5227848-8x3ou5z/index.html|title=Congo's bread basket struggles to recover from conflict|website=The Citizen|date=8 August 2019|access-date=3 November 2019}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Post-Cold War African conflicts}}
Category:2016 in the Republic of the Congo
Category:2017 in the Republic of the Congo