 France also supported the Cobra militia by offering armaments, aiming to secure its interests in the country's oil industry.The conflict was also influenced by the aftermaths of the First Congo War and of the Rwandan genocide.A large number of Rwandan refugees who fled the DRC (formerly Zaire) in May 1997 after the fall of Mobutu, took part in the conflict—approximately 600 Rwandans Hutus joined militias formed by Sassou, with others fighting against him.