LAURENT KABILA SPENT MOST OF LIFE UNTIL NOW FIGHTING THE 
CENTRAL ZAIREAN GOVERNMENT IN KINSHASA.  BUT NOW, HE IS THE HEAD 
OF THAT GOVERNMENT, IN A NATION WITH A NEW NAME -- THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO.  [THIS REPORT] PROFILES THE MAN WHO 
LED A SUCCESSFUL REVOLT IN ONE OF AFRICA'S BIGGEST NATIONS. 

LAURENT KABILA IS A CASUAL MILITARY LEADER.  NO  SWAGGER. 
NO  BERET OR UNIFORM BRISTLING WITH DECORATIONS.  MR. KABILA 
PREFERS SIMPLE LEISURE SUITS AND TASSELED LEATHER LOAFERS.

THE 56-YEAR-OLD WEARS HIS GRAYING HAIR CUT CLOSE TO HIS HEAD, 
UNDER A WIDE-BRIMMED HAT IN THE SUN.  HE SPEAKS FRENCH, ENGLISH, 
AND KISWAHILI.  HE IS A SHORT, STOCKY, GRANDFATHER FIGURE FOR 
MANY OF THE TEENAGE BOYS IN HIS REBELLION.

MR. KABILA IS QUICK TO SMILE AND HAS AN EASY MANNER WITH 
REPORTERS.  BUT HE GUARDS HIS PRIVACY FIERCELY.  HE TALKS LITTLE 
ABOUT HIS FAMILY, EVEN LESS ABOUT HIS OWN PAST. 

LAURENT DESIRE KABILA GREW UP IN ZAIRE'S SOUTHERN SHABA PROVINCE 
AND STUDIED POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AT UNIVERSITY IN FRANCE.  HE 
RETURNED HOME WITH AN INTEREST IN MARXISM AND WAS AN EARLY 
SUPPORTER OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER, PATRICE LUMUMBA.

WHEN MR. LUMUMBA WAS ASSASSINATED IN 1961, MR. KABILA JOINED 
SECESSIONISTS IN THE EASTERN CONGO.  THEY TRIED TO SET UP THEIR 
OWN STATE WITH A CAPITAL IN STANLEYVILLE, NOW CALLED KISANGANI.

AT ITS PEAK, THIS MOVEMENT CONTROLLED ONE-THIRD OF THE COUNTRY 
AND WAS RECOGNIZED BY 13 FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.  BUT IT WAS PUT 
DOWN BY BELGIAN PARATROOPERS AND AN ARMY LED BY MOBUTU SESE SEKO.

MR. KABILA CONTINUED TO FIGHT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT FROM BASES 
IN THE MITUMBA MOUNTAINS NEAR LAKE TANGANYIKA, HELPING TO FORM 
THE POPULAR REVOLUTIONARY PARTY IN 1967.  THAT GROUP WAS 
EVENTUALLY FORCED INTO TANZANIA WHERE THEY CONTINUED TO ATTACK 
GOVERNMENT TROOPS IN EASTERN ZAIRE.

IT IS DURING THIS TIME THAT MR. KABILA MET YOWERI MUSEVENI, THE 
UGANDAN REBEL WHOSE FORCES TOOK POWER IN THAT COUNTRY IN 1985.  
THROUGH MR. MUSEVENI, MR. KABILA MET PAUL KAGAME, WHOSE REBELS 
TOOK POWER IN RWANDA IN 1994.

MR. MUSEVENI AND MR. KAGAME BOTH SUPPORT MR. KABILA.  HIS REBELS 
CLEARED OUT THE AREA ALONG THE EASTERN BORDER WHERE UGANDA AND 
RWANDA WERE SUBJECT TO PERIODIC RAIDS BY OPPONENTS BASED IN 
ZAIRE.

MORTAR FIRE FROM THE RWANDAN ARMY BACKED THE REBEL CAMPAIGN 
AGAINST BUKAVU AND GOMA, TWO IMPORTANT EARLY VICTORIES.

AFTER EIGHT MONTHS AND A MORE THAN 15-HUNDRED KILOMETER LONG 
MILITARY OFFENSIVE, MR. KABILA IS FINALLY THE PRESIDENT OF ZAIRE,
RENAMED CONGO.  AND FORTY-MILLION PEOPLE ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT 
HE WILL DO NOW.  

21-May-97
Source: Voice of America