The town was the scene of a decisive battle in December 2000 during the Second Congo War which resulted in both sides making more active efforts to achieve peace.

The Mitumba mountains rise to the west, forming a giant barrier between the lake and the Congo Basin broken by the Luvua valley.

The local people also practice small-scale agriculture, growing cassava, millet, maize, groundnuts and sweet potatoes.

They captured positions held by the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Goma (RCD-Goma), such as Pepa, and attacked Moba port on Lake Tanganyika.

[2] The population of Pweto had tripled due to civilians fleeing from fighting elsewhere in Katanga, overwhelming health care facilities.

Thirty three vehicles (tanks, armoured personnel carriers, trucks, ambulance) were burnt to avoid capture.

[7] The fall of Pweto led to the assassination of President Laurent-Désiré Kabila by his bodyguards, on 18 January 2001, and to a complete shift in the political situation on both sides.

[8] The Rwandans chose not to pursue the Congolese forces into Zambia since President Paul Kagame was concerned about further alienating international supporters.

He said "This is generally in support of the peace process, but is also a goodwill gesture which we hope will bring an appropriate response from the government in Kinshasa".

[11] Pweto is the largest town between Moliro on the shore of Lake Tanganyika and the Katangan provincial capital Lubumbashi.

Basic government services are still not available, public infrastructure is in poor condition and the local economy is scarcely functional.