Laurent Nkunda was born on February 2,1967, at the village of Mutanda, located in eastern Congo.
15 Facts About Laurent Nkunda
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At the outset of the Second Congo War, Laurent Nkunda joined and became a major in the Congolese Rally for Democracy rebel group, fighting on the side of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, and other rebel forces.
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In 2003, with the official end to war, Laurent Nkunda was integrated into the national army of the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a colonel and by 2004, he was promoted to general and commanded the 81st and 83rd brigades of the Congolese Army.
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Laurent Nkunda claimed to be defending the interests of the Tutsi minority in eastern Congo who were subjected to attacks by Hutus, who had fled after their involvement with the Rwandan genocide.
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Laurent Nkunda established a political organisation known as the National Congress for the Defence of the People.
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In fighting that began on 27 October 2008, known as the 2008 Nord-Kivu campaign, Laurent Nkunda led CNDP rebels who fought against both the Congolese government forces, FDLR militias, and United Nations forces of the 17,000 UN contingent in the country.
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Laurent Nkunda was indicted by the Congolese government for war crimes in September 2005.
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Laurent Nkunda has claimed that the UN have ignored the widespread attacks on Tutsis in the region as they did during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
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Laurent Nkunda denies these allegations, stating that as of 2005 he has demobilised 2,500 "young soldiers".
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Laurent Nkunda was arrested on 22 January 2009 after he had crossed into Rwanda.
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Laurent Nkunda is currently being held at an undisclosed location in Rwanda.
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Laurent Nkunda's defense had sought in vain to have his detention declared illegal, and he has yet to be charged with a crime.
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Laurent Nkunda is a polyglot who speaks English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Lingala and Kinande, and has claimed to admire leaders including Gandhi and George W Bush.
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Laurent Nkunda claims to be a Seventh-day Adventist minister, and is a Pentecostal Christian.
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Laurent Nkunda says that most of his rebel troops have converted.