Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1407425
Atlantic B707s), as well as several smal- ler airlifters, including an, abandoned, yet ready to fly DC-8. Meanwhile, regular Ugandan and Rwandan units (ca. 600 troops of the elite Ngurma battalion, and around 50 soldiers of the Ugandan light artillery) also get involved in the fights. The commandos take hostages at the Nyira hotel in Goma: several civil pilot contractors, working for the local enter- prises. Threatened, they are forced to conduct several hundred flights all aro- und Congo, flying supplies to detached Rwandan, Ugandan, and Banyamulenga units. On August 3rd, the British tourists witnessed Ugandan forces moving 300 kilometers from the border, towards Kisingana. The Banyamulenga rebels, meanwhile, take over the cities of Buni, Bukavu, and Uvira. At night, between August 3rd and 4th, two B727s take off from Goma, carrying the HCU assault squad, flying west. Several minutes later, two B707s take off, with South African soldiers onboard. Using the complete lack of ATC services over Congo, the air- craft reached the Kitona airport in the morning, on August 3rd. Kitona airfield is a part of a former Belgian military base around 350 kilometers from Kinshasa, in the Bas-Congo province. Following the Israeli example set in Entebbe in 1976, the commandos leave the first B727 using the rear stairs, proceeding onto the apron, and then rapidly taking control of the control tower. The second B727 lands near the hangars. This allows the commandos to take over all of the base's infrastructure, in the very same way. In 30 minutes, and following a brief symptom of resistance created by the forces faithful to Kabila, the primary in- frastructure of the base is taken control of. Then, the remaining two B707s land at the location, bringing in Rwandan and Ugandan troops. On the very same day, four extra aircraft brought in tro- ops and supplies twice, with another 4 round-trips happening on the next day. This airlift operation lasts for a few days until the Angolan units enter the arena. Kitona then is reached by four full South African battalions, and one UDPF bat- talion - ca. 3,000 fully equipped troops, and a small light artillery element. Hour after the airfield is secured by HCU, Paul Kabarebe lands there. Together with the former Mobutu Secret Police comman- der, General Baramoto, and the head of SOF, General Mzbimi, and former head of the MoD, Admiral Navuma, they all convince the remaining soldiers protec- ting the Kitona base to join the rebellion willing to overthrow Kabila. The negotia- tion takes only several minutes and goes smoothly, as the base hosts the UNITA rebels, demobilized Pascal Lissouby's militants (overthrown Congo-Brazaville's president), who serve Kabila as contrac- tors, along with the support units of the Congo military. The troops are starving, also with unpaid salaries. The argument took on the form of several briefcases filled with money brought from Rwanda. This quickly turned the troops in favor of the rebellion. Thanks to the negotiation and bribing, Kabarebe's Forces grow to more than 20,000 men, and they also have heavy weapons at their disposal: 36 Type 59 and Type 62 MBTs, several ZPU- 1, ZPU-4, and ZUR-23-2 systems, APCs. All at the cost of Kabila's army. On August 5th Kabarebe began his offen- sive towards the Banana Port (Atlantic Ocean), conquering, almost without any fighting, Kabila's weapons storage faci- lities and military bases. On August 7th the Kabarebe's units conquer the Boma port, encountering some resistance tho- ugh. The city is plundered. For the first time in this conflict, the Rwandan tro- ops also commit murder and rape. On August 10th, the rebels, using the local means of transportation (requisitioned trucks, cars, or even a train), took over the Matadi Port, cutting Kinshasa from supplies from the world. On August 13th, the Ugandan forces took over a strate- gic dam on the Congo river, cutting the ANALYSIS