This is the operation conducted thirty years ago by the Legionnaires paratroopers on Kolwezi.Today, May 19, 2008, the thirtieth anniversary of that operation, while President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing will personally Calvi in Corsica to pay tribute to the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment and his legionaries, it seems appropriate to remember the triple bet that formed at the time this transaction and that probably explains its international impact, because success was not guaranteed in advance. 
Kolwezi was a fabulous first political gamble. Remember the context of 1978, the Cold War, when the United States under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, are undergoing withdrawal them from the Watergate scandal of 1974 and the eve of another case, that of the Embassy hostages in Tehran in 1979, this leaves the field open to the Soviets, who, by proxy power in this case Cuba, will destabilize Africa through an indirect strategy, embodying what ' Lenin had written a few years ago: "The way to Europe through Africa!" Thus, Angola, one of the first target, can serve as a basis for the invasion of Shaba: a first time in 1977, when France intervened in providing logistics for the benefit of the Zairian army, which repelled the offensive of the Tigers, whose name had rigged the rebel Front National de Libération du Congo; when second invasion, in May 1978, just at the end of the rainy season, making the trails passable and allows a surprise attack in the city. France is the only well on the world stage and Africa. It is even more, there has never been any such action, apart from some limited operations in Chad and Mauritania. Furthermore, Zaire is a huge country, which represents more than five times the France, too, putting one foot in the province of Shaba is putting a foot in a huge country, which even if successful initial risk to involve France in a transaction without an end with all the problems associated stagnation, as shown elsewhere today that operations are conducted over several years. 
Now, France will win the first bet, with a daring operation, short, intense and focused, which will begin rescue thousands of lives and will lead, in addition, full membership of the international community. 
The jump was on Kolwezi and will also remain an important strategic challenge. The history of airborne operations reveals that, if they have experienced tremendous success stories, they were also the tomb of many paratroopers paratroopers German conquerors in 1940 at Fort Eben-Emael and the Albert Canal, will curry sometime later in Crete; paratroopers Anglo-Saxon liberators of Normandy on the night of June 5 to 6 will pay a heavy price in Arnhem. In Kolwezi, the deadlines are very constrained, since radio intercepts are reports of looting and summary executions of Aboriginal and European, which requires an intervention, conducted in the emergency planning and without a drop at the near the goal. In addition, the average French are limited: the projection from France was provided by civilian aircraft commandeered and among the six tactical aircraft release, only two are French. There is no point in returning to the U.S. epiphenomenon parachutes or planes down during takeoff, except to recall the precarious means. In fact, it was the regiment for a flight with no return possible, once the release decision and done, the legionnaires could expect no support, no fire support, or reinforcement of at least two or three days.

But the 2nd REP will win this bet strategic military an exemplary ally to a remarkable humanitarian mission, in fact, less than 24 hours, the units will quickly grab a few major points of the city without trying to control the heart of the city or to establish a front line that the dual aim of destabilizing the enemy and to stop the massacres of European citizens and Zaire, while allowing them to regroup with points secured, in following days, once the majority of civilians to be protected or evacuated, the regiment will secure the suburbs and surrounding villages, to repel the enemy's bases in Angola downturn.