Pepa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
Pepa is a community in the northeast of the Tanganyika District
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. It is located 167 kilometres northeast by road from Pweto
, to the west of Lake Tanganyika
.
The village is surrounded by high plateau grasslands.
It was the home of the Belgian-owned Societé Elgima Pepa until the 1990s, a huge cattle farm that employed 1,200 local people.
(1998-2003) the region became a battle zone between government forces and rebel groups. Most of the people fled to Zambia
and almost all the cattle were taken.
The area between Pweto
, Moba and Moliro
has been called the "Triangle of Death".
In 2000 the town was held by RCD-Goma forces and the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA).
In April 2000 an Rwandan airforce Antonov An-8
crashed on take-off from the Pepa airstrip
killing the crew of four and about 20 Rwandan soldiers including a Rwanda army major, two captains and two lieutenants.
Other reports place the death toll as high as 57.
In October 2000 Pepa was captured in an offensive by DRC government troops and their allies.
The RCD-Goma and RPA forces counter-attacked and recaptured Pepa in November 2000.
The Rwandans took other places in the area including Pweto and Moba early in December 2000.
By the end of the war buildings that had been used by the military were dilapidated and the community was littered with unexploded and abandoned ordnance.
Tanganyika District
Tanganyika District is a district located in the Katanga Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Under the February 2006 constitution the district was to be upgraded to Tanganyika Province. As of 2011 this had not happened.-References:...
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. It is located 167 kilometres northeast by road from Pweto
Pweto
Pweto is a town in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is the administrative center of the Pweto Territory. The town was the scene of a decisive battle in December 2000 during the Second Congo War which resulted in both sides making more active efforts to achieve...
, to the west of Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
.
Location
Pepa is in Moba Territory in the northeast of Katanga Province.The village is surrounded by high plateau grasslands.
It was the home of the Belgian-owned Societé Elgima Pepa until the 1990s, a huge cattle farm that employed 1,200 local people.
War
During the Second Congo WarSecond Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
(1998-2003) the region became a battle zone between government forces and rebel groups. Most of the people fled to Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and almost all the cattle were taken.
The area between Pweto
Pweto
Pweto is a town in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It is the administrative center of the Pweto Territory. The town was the scene of a decisive battle in December 2000 during the Second Congo War which resulted in both sides making more active efforts to achieve...
, Moba and Moliro
Moliro
Moliro is a community in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo beside Lake Tanganyika on the border with Zambia.It is in Katanga Province....
has been called the "Triangle of Death".
In 2000 the town was held by RCD-Goma forces and the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA).
In April 2000 an Rwandan airforce Antonov An-8
Antonov An-8
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Lake, Jon. "Antonov's An-8 Camp: The Little Known Pioneer". Air International, September 2004, Vol 67 No 3. pp. 24–27....
crashed on take-off from the Pepa airstrip
Pepa Airport
Pepa Airport is an airstrip near the village of Pepa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.During the Second Congo War In April 2000 an Rwandan airforce Antonov An-8 crashed on take-off from the airstrip killing the crew of four and about 20 Rwandan soldiers including a Rwanda army major, two captains...
killing the crew of four and about 20 Rwandan soldiers including a Rwanda army major, two captains and two lieutenants.
Other reports place the death toll as high as 57.
In October 2000 Pepa was captured in an offensive by DRC government troops and their allies.
The RCD-Goma and RPA forces counter-attacked and recaptured Pepa in November 2000.
The Rwandans took other places in the area including Pweto and Moba early in December 2000.
By the end of the war buildings that had been used by the military were dilapidated and the community was littered with unexploded and abandoned ordnance.