Mnangagwa calls in 'Africa’s first world war' debt
Publish date: 19 March 2018
Issue Number: 766
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: Corruption
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is calling in a debt and urging the DRC to assist his country in the forthcoming general elections. The Zimbabwe Independent reports that Mnangagwa, who visited Kinshasa last week, discussed the 'long-standing demand for $1bn compensation for participating in the DRC war' with his counterpart Joseph Kabila. While diplomatic ties between the two countries remained cordial, the countries have a long-standing disagreement over the compensation issue following Zimbabwe's active role in 'Africa’s first world war' in the 1990s. Zimbabwe and Angola suffered heavy casualties as they fought to save Kinshasa from a military takeover by rebels that were backed by neighbouring Rwanda and Burundi.