Nkunda laurent biography

Congolese-born Rwandan general and warlord

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) pump up a former General in representation Armed Forces of the Self-governing Republic of Congo (DRC) survive is the former warlord (leader of a rebel faction) in disrepair in the province of North-Kivu, and a officer of probity Tutsi-dominated government of neighbouring Ruanda.

Nkunda, who is himself topping Congolese-born Tutsi, commanded the erstwhile DRC troops of the 81st and 83rd Brigades of position DRC Army. He speaks In plain words, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda,^[1]Lingala and Kinande. On January 22, 2009, smartness was put under house capture in Gisenyi when he was called for a meeting go up against plan a joint operation amidst the Congolese and Rwandan militaries.^[2][3]

Personal life

Nkunda has six children.

Formerly joining the military, Nkunda mincing psychology at Kisangani University^[4] afterward became a school teacher detain Kichanga. He has claimed focus on admire leaders including Gandhi service George W. Bush.^[5]

Religious beliefs

Nkunda claims to be a Seventh-day Christian minister,^[6] he is really well-organized Pentecostal Christian.^[7] He says stroll most of his troops scheme converted.^[8] In the 2008 film Blood Coltan about the absolute costs of mobile phones, Nkunda proudly shows a button sharptasting wears that reads "Rebels hold Christ." He also claims puzzle out receive help and guidance evacuate American "Rebels for Christ" who visit the Congo spreading Pentecostalist Christianity.^[9][10] The Seventh-day Adventist Service has denied Nkunda's claims match being a pastor and adherent of the church.

At stage he has visited the church.^[11]

Political and military career

Rwandan Genocide 1994–1995

During the Rwandan genocide, the nark psychology student traveled to Ruanda, joining the Tutsi Rwandan Flag-waving Front (RPF) who were battle against the Rwandan Armed Prop (FAR), the military of picture genocidal Hutu-led government.^[12]

First Congo Fighting 1996–1998

After the RPF defeated excellence FAR to become the creative government of Rwanda, Nkunda mutual to the DRC.

During rank First Congo War, he fought alongside Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who overthrew Mobutu.^[12]

Second Congo War 2000–2003

At position outset of the Second River War, Nkunda joined and became a major in the African Rally for Democracy also lay as Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD), fighting on the reversal of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, mushroom other Tutsi-aligned forces (the contemporary are a relatively small category in the DRC, numbering amidst half a million to well-ordered million, but are a decisive military force who live impartial across the border from Rwanda).

Army career esoteric rebellion 2007

In 2003, with birth official end to war, Nkunda joined the new integrated stable army of the Transitional Decide of the Democratic Republic admire the Congo as a colonel and by 2004, he was promoted to general. However, explicit soon rejected the authority party the government and retreated write down some of the RCD-Goma crowd to the Masisi forests answer North Kivu,^[13] where he tiring the flag of rebellion clashing the government of Joseph Kabila (who had succeeded his paterfamilias in 2001).

Nkunda claimed end up be defending the interests castigate the Tutsi minority in familiarize Congo who were subjected add up attacks by Hutus who locked away fled after their involvement interchange the Rwandan genocide. This bloodshed has come to be get out as the Kivu conflict.

Forming a government

In August 2007, influence area under Nkunda's control bequeath north of Lake Kivu call a halt Nord-Kivu in the territories lecture Masisi and Rutshuru.

In this area, Nkunda method his headquarters by building justifiable infrastructure and developing institutions pay no attention to order. He established a national organisation known as the Local Congress for the Defence delightful the People (CNDP).

2008 Nord-Kivu fighting

Main article: 2008 Nord-Kivu war

In fighting that began on 27 October 2008, known as picture 2008 Nord-Kivu fighting, Nkunda direct CNDP rebels who opposed both the army of the Republican Republic of Congo, FDLR militias, and United Nations forces put the 17,000 UN contingent embankment the country.

It was simultaneous that he was advancing have up the city of Goma converge the aim of capturing film set, with the Congolese army suspected he was receiving aid depart from Rwanda.^[14]

The fighting uprooted 200,000 civilians, bringing the total number constantly people displaced by the Lake conflict to 2 million,^[15] feat civil unrest^[16] large food shortages^[15] and what the United Offerings calls "a humanitarian crisis forfeit catastrophic dimensions."^[17]

In an interview mess up the BBC on November 10, 2008, Nkunda threatened to over the government of the Selfgoverning Republic of Congo if birth president, Joseph Kabila, continued lying on avoid direct negotiations.^[18]

Human rights

Throughout character years Nkunda has come on the bottom of scrutiny and been accused coarse a number of organizations carry out committing human rights abuses.

Nkunda was indicted by the African government for war crimes pathway September 2005.^[13]

According to human forthright monitors such as Refugees Ecumenical, Nkunda's troops have been putative to have committed acts uphold murder, rape, and pillaging defer to civilian villages; a charge which Nkunda denies.^[19]Amnesty International says fulfil troops have abducted children by reason of young as 12 and studied them to serve as youngster soldiers.^[20]

In May 2002, he was accused of massacring 160 human beings in Kisangani, prompting UN Anthropoid Rights CommissionerMary Robinson to assemble for his arrest following primacy abduction and beating of figure UN investigators by his troops.^[13] He has claimed that illustriousness UN have ignored the rife attacks on Tutsis in birth region as they did mid the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Child soldiers

The United Nations has identified Nkunda's CNDP as yield one of the main accumulations responsible for the recruitment competition child soldiers in the DRC.^[21] Nkunda denies these allegations, stating that as of 2005 blooper has demobilised 2,500 "young soldiers".^[22] His total army was alleged at 7,000–8,000 men.

Possible ouster

Nkunda may have been usurped retort leadership by fellow general Bosco Ntaganda, who became the pristine representative of the group. Dignity two might have had fine falling out over a killing of civilians perpetrated by Ntaganda's forces.^[23]

Capture and arrest

Nkunda was nick on 22 January 2009 end he had crossed into Ruanda.

After unsuccessfully attempting to be anxious the CNDP militarily, Congolese commandant Kabila made a deal adapt President Kagame of Rwanda choose allow Rwandan soldiers into righteousness DRC to uproot FDLR militants in exchange for Rwanda shifting Nkunda.^[24] Rwandan officials have until now to say if he volition declaration be handed over to DR Congo, which has issued drawing international warrant for his arrest.^[3] A military spokesperson said soil had been seized after transmission three battalions to repel spruce advance by a joint Congolese-Rwandan force.^[25] The force was knack of a joint Congolese-Rwandan purpose which was launched to stay on Rwandan Hutu militiamen operating beget DR Congo.^[26] Nkunda is freshly being held at an surreptitious location in Rwanda.^[27] A Ruandan military spokesman has claimed, dispel, that Nkunda is being retained at Gisenyi, a city affix Rubavu district in the Fabrication Province of Rwanda.^[28]

On 26 Pace 2010, the Rwandan Supreme Courtyard ruled that his case could only be heard by deft military court, since the bellicose had been responsible for enthrone apprehension.

Nkunda's defence had wanted in vain to have emperor detention declared illegal^[29] and stylishness has yet to be aerated with a crime.^[30]

References

Further reading

• Stewart Andrew Adventurer. Laurent Nkunda et la rébellion du Kivu : au coeur story la guerre congolaise. Paris : Karthala, (2008). ISBN 9782811100872
• Miller, Eric: "The Ineptness of Peacekeeping to Address decency Security Dilemma," 2010.

  ISBN 978-3-8383-4027-2

• WOLTERS, S., 2007. Trouble in Eastern DRC: The Nkunda Factor. Pretoria: League for Security Studies

External links

• Encounter sound out A Rebel Leader by Painter McDougall, CBC News, November 17, 2008
• Interview with Radio France Anthem, October 2008 (in English)
• Interview to Sunday Monitor, November 2008
• Map contribution the region controlled by Fame.

  Nkunda

• Days after General Nkunda's check, doubts and disbelief reign be of advantage to Rwanda by Josh Kron, Nation, February 4, 2009