Final answer:
The Second Congo War lasted from 1998 to 2003, characterized by a complex interplay of political power struggles and control over rich mineral resources, leading to an estimated 5.4 million deaths. The conflict ended with a power-sharing agreement, although violence persisted in the resource-rich eastern region.
Step-by-step explanation:
The duration of the Second Congo War was from 1998 to 2003. This conflict was particularly devastating, leading to the deaths of millions of people. Following the overthrow of President Mobutu in the First Congo War and the ascension of rebel leader Kabila, the Democratic Republic of the Congo faced a significant shift in power dynamics which eventually led to the outbreak of the Second Congo War. This war carried on until Kabila's assassination in 2001, after which his adopted son Joseph Kabila took control, and the war formally ended in 2003 with a power-sharing agreement, although many rebel groups continued their activities in the east.
The sources of contention included the struggle for political control and the region's vast mineral resources such as zinc, diamonds, copper, and gold. Neighboring countries including Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Uganda, and Rwanda got involved, each supporting different factions during the war. It is estimated that by 2008, the total number of deaths resulting from the civil wars in the Congo was about 5.4 million, many of whom succumbed to disease and starvation beyond the casualties from direct conflict.
The Kivu conflict, an extension of the violence in the Congo, continued to cause suffering in the region, with spillover conflicts involving various militias in the provinces of North and South Kivu. Despite the formal end of the Second Congo War, the struggle for control over resources and the presence of military arms contributed to ongoing instability and violence in the region.