42 years ago: Operation in Kolwezi began

On May 18, 1978, in Corsica, legionnaires of the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) were alerted and a few hours later, they took off in direction of then Zaire in Central Africa. The next day, May 19, they jumped over Kolwezi, a mining center in the south of the country. The legionnaires would rescue over 2,000 Europeans captured and held by local rebels…

Thanks to the success of the operation and the then international media coverage, the regiment became popular across the world. If you are interested in this operation, click the link or the image below to see the article dedicated to the operation, supplemented with many images and additional information.

Follow the link: 1978 Battle of Kolwezi

Or click the image:

2e REP - 2 REP - 1978 Battle of Kolwezi - A successful rescue operation in Kolwezi - Zaire