KABILA Laurent-Dц?sirц? (Kabila Laurent Desire)

(1939-2001)
Born in 1939 in Dzhadotville (now Likashi) in the province of Katanga (later known as Shaba). He studied in France and the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania. When Congo gained independence in 1960, Kabila was a youth leader of the party, which had close ties with then Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. In 1964, Kabila had participated in one of the three rebellions raised by followers of Lumumba in various parts of the country and supported by Che Guevara. The revolt was suppressed in 1965, the Congolese army, led by Mobutu, who later that same year, seized power.
In 1967 Kabila founded the People's Revolutionary Party, which formed in the area of South Kivu in eastern Congo government has declared the formation of the new communist state. State Kabila existed in the mountains west of Lake. Tangankika two decades. In 1990 Kabila was moved to Dar-es-Salaam, where he focused on the sale of gold from eastern Zaire. Kabila has reappeared on the political scene in October 1996 as head of the revolt of ethnic Tutsis in South Kivu. With the support of the Governments of Uganda and Rwanda, he was able to unite with antimobutovskimi Tutsi guerrilla groups (Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire). In May 1997, Mobutu fled, and Kabila declared himself president, and suggested new name of the country - Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the past, communist, Kabila has now stated that he supports political pluralism and market economy. He banned all political parties, the police suppressed a demonstration of supporters of opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi. In August 1998, the Tutsi rebel group, calling themselves the Congolese Democratic Movement, invaded the Congo from Rwanda. After the unsuccessful peace negotiations the rebels in February 1999 resumed military action to overthrow Kabila, but in July-August 1999 ceasefire agreement yet been reached. In February 2000 the UN Security Council approved a proposal to send peacekeeping forces to the region and observers, but the deployment of UN forces was postponed several times due to lack of guarantees of their safety. January 20, 2001 Kabila was shot and killed one of his bodyguards in a failed coup attempt in Kinshasa. The new president was elected Kabila's son - Joseph Kabila.