| Cocoye Militia | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Pascal Lissouba |
| Foundation | 1993 |
| Country | Republic of the Congo |
| Active regions | Southwest Republic of Congo |
| Size | 3,000 (Height) |
| Battles and wars | Republic of the Congo Civil War (1993–1994) Republic of the Congo Civil War (1997–1999) |
TheCocoye Militia was a militia during thefirst andsecondRepublic of the Congo civil wars that fought for Pascal Lissouba.
The Cocoye militia was formed in 1993 byPascal Lissouba. Lissouba heavily distrusted the armed forces of the county and did not think that they would support them. He formed his own militia that he trusted to support him. He formed the militia from army personnel and supporters from the Departments ofNiari,Lékoumou, andBouenza. He bought mercenaries fromIsrael,Serbia, andZaire to train his militia.[1]
During thefirst civil war the Cocoye militia was allied with Lissouba, they fought against the alliedNinja andCobra militias.[2] InBrazzaville, the Cocoye controlled the center of the city, the conflict ended up killing 2,000 and ended in the peace agreement with neither side gaining victory.[3][4]
In June 1997 Lissouba feared aCoup d'état and sent the Cocoyes to arrest the leader of the Cobra Militia,Denis Sassou Nguesso, and disarm the militia, starting thesecond civil war. Their former enemy, the Ninjas, allied with them against the Cobra, during the second civil war. The Cocoye played a major role in the conflict, capturing theMoukoukoulou Dam and cutting power to much of the south.[5][6][7]