Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila has reportedly joined forces with the M23 rebel group to establish a new political and military alliance aimed at challenging the current government.
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Read E-PaperThe alliance, known as the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), was announced at a joint press conference held on Monday at Kabila’s residence in Goma, a key city in eastern DRC that has been under M23 control since January 2025.
The group described itself as a political and military movement that intends to combine its resources and capabilities to bring an end to what it calls tyranny, including through the use of force.
Kabila will lead the new formation, while leaders of the rebel movement are expected to serve as his deputies.
The development marks a reported shift in Kabila’s involvement in the conflict in eastern DRC, where armed groups have fought government forces for decades.
Kabila, 55, ruled the country from 2001 to 2019 and has faced accusations from Congolese authorities over alleged links to the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a political movement associated with M23. He has denied the allegations.
In a separate legal development, Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia in 2025 after being found guilty of complicity with M23, according to reports.
The announcement comes at a politically sensitive time for the DRC, with President Felix Tshisekedi approaching the end of his second five-year term in 2028.
The country’s constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms, although the possibility of constitutional amendments has been a subject of political debate.
Kabila largely stayed out of the public spotlight after leaving office following the 2018 elections. He first became president in January 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila, who had taken power after leading a rebellion.
Joseph Kabila won the country’s first presidential election since independence in 2006. He secured another term in 2011 in an election criticised over allegations of violence and electoral irregularities.
The M23 rebellion began in 2012, with the group operating mainly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
The United Nations and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, allegations that Kigali has repeatedly denied.
Efforts to end the conflict have so far failed to bring lasting peace to eastern DRC, despite several diplomatic initiatives.
A December agreement between Kinshasa and Kigali, brokered with US involvement, has yet to produce a lasting improvement on the ground. A separate ceasefire commitment reached between the Congolese government and M23 in July 2025 through a Qatar-mediated process has also faced challenges, with reports of continued fighting.
The formation of the new alliance could further complicate efforts to resolve the conflict and deepen political tensions in the mineral-rich eastern region.
