Laurent Nkunda
| Laurent Nkunda | |
|---|---|
| Born |
2 February 1967 Mutanda, Rutshuru, Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) |
| Allegiance |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
| Service/branch | Land Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Years of service | 1994–2004 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars | Rwandan Genocide (1994–1995); First Congo War (1997–1998); Second Congo War (2000–2003); Kivu conflict (2007); Nord-Kivu War (2008) |
Laurent Nkunda (or Laurent Nkundabatware Mihigo (birth name), or Laurent Nkunda Batware, or as he prefers to be called The Chairman; born February 2, 1967) is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is the former warlord (leader of a rebel faction) operating in the province of Nord-Kivu, sympathetic to Congolese Tutsis and the Tutsi-dominated government of neighbouring Rwanda. Nkunda, who is himself a Congolese Tutsi, commanded the former DRC troops of the 81st and 83rd Brigades of the DRC Army. He speaks English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda,Lingala and Kinande. On January 22, 2009, he was put under house arrest in Gisenyi when he was called for a meeting to plan a joint operation between the Congolese and Rwandan militaries.
Nkunda has six children. Before joining the military, Nkunda studied psychology at Kisangani University then became a school teacher in Kichanga. He has claimed to admire leaders including Gandhi and George W. Bush.
Nkunda is an ordained Christian preacher and an ordained minister. He says that most of his troops have converted. In the 2008 documentary Blood Coltan about the real costs of mobile phones, Nkunda proudly shows a button he wears that reads "Rebels for Christ." He is a Seventh-day Adventist. He also claims to receive help and guidance from American "Rebels for Christ" who visit the Congo spreading Pentecostal Christianity. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has disputed Nkunda's claims of affiliation.
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Wikipedia