Former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, has aligned himself with the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group to form a new coalition aimed at addressing the ongoing insurgency in the country’s troubled eastern region.
This partnership was unveiled during a press conference at Kabila’s home in Goma, a city in eastern Congo that has been under M23 control since January 2025. The organisation, called the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), is described as a “politico-military” group that plans to unite forces to “end tyranny by any means, including force.” Kabila will lead the initiative, with rebel leaders acting as deputies.
Kabila, who served from 2001 until 2019, was sentenced to death in absentia last year for “complicity” with the M23. He has denied these allegations.
The announcement comes at a pivotal time politically in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as President Félix Tshisekedi, Kabila’s successor, approaches the end of his second five-year term in 2028. Despite constitutional limits on presidential terms, there have been ongoing discussions among the presidential majority about potentially amending these restrictions.
Kabila has largely remained out of the public eye since leaving office after the 2018 elections. He became president in 2006, marking the first free elections since the country gained independence from Belgium. His re-election in 2011 was marred by accusations of violence and fraud, and the M23 uprising began shortly after in the eastern Kivu region.
While the United Nations and Western nations have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, Kigali denies these claims. The eastern DRC has faced violence for over 30 years, with previous peace negotiations yielding little success. A ceasefire agreement reached in July 2025, facilitated by Qatar, has yet to be adhered to.
