About Laurent Nkunda
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. During the First Congo War, he fought alongside AFDL rebels led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko. At the outset of the Second Congo War, Nkunda joined and became a major in the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD) rebel group, fighting on the side of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, and other rebel forces. Nkunda may have been usurped in leadership by fellow general Bosco Ntaganda, who became the new representative of the group.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.