Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 February 1967 Mutanda, Rutshuru, Congo-Léopoldville |
| Allegiance | RPF (1994) AFDL (1996–1998) RCD (1998–2003) Democratic Republic of the Congo (2003–2004) CNDP (2004–2009) |
| Branch | Congolese Army |
| Years of service | 1994–2009 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles / wars | |
Laurent Nkunda Mihigo (born Laurent Nkundabatware; February 2, 1967) is a Congolese former military officer and warlord who operated in the North Kivu Province during the Kivu conflict.
Nkunda, who is a Congolese Tutsi, initially fought as a rebel fighter in the Rwandan Civil War alongside the forces of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) against the genocidal Hutu-led government in Rwanda. In 1996, he returned to the Congo and joined Laurent Kabila's AFDL forces during the First Congo War. However, he later rebelled against Kabila's government and joined the rebellion led by Rwandan-aligned rebels during the Second Congo War. Following the end of the Second Congo War, he was integrated into the Congolese Army in 2003 but would again later rebel against the government, marking the beginning of the Kivu conflict.
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.