Shaba War in Zaire comes to an end

The first Shaba war (also referred to as Shaba I) broke out on 8 March 1977 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, when Angola-based guerrillas of the Front for the National Liberation of Congo (Front pour la Liberation Nationale de Congo (FLNC) took the border town of Dilolo, in the western Shaba region, en route to the mining centre of Kolwezi, where they instigated out the attack. The war culminated towards the end of May 1977. A year later, the FLNC captured the mining town in what became known as Shaba II. The Shaba wars emerged during Mobutu Sese Seko rule. The FLNC plans to seize Mobutu were thwarted when he was rescued by French troops on both of the Shaba incursions.