Ex-president Joseph Kabila named leader of new DR Congo rebel coalition

Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has been named the leader of a new rebel coalition seeking to oust the government in Kinshasa. The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) stated that it aims to coordinate resistance forces to end what it calls tyranny in the Democratic Republic of Congo, asserting that it would pursue this goal by all means, including force. The official unveiling took place at a press conference in Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo, which has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since last year.

The announcement is the most direct indication yet of Kabila's involvement in an armed movement against the administration of President Félix Tshisekedi. This comes a year after Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia for treason, having previously denied any links to the M23 movement. During the announcement, Claude Ibalanky, an adviser to the coalition, presented the new leadership structure at Kabila's residence. Video footage released by the group showed Kabila signing documents alongside other key figures, including M23 leader Sultani Makenga, who will serve as one of four deputies in the new coalition.

The formation of the FRN follows a recent address by Kabila in which he criticized President Tshisekedi's government for disregarding his proposals to end the conflict in the country's restive eastern region. Kabila accused the administration of undermining constitutional rule, mismanaging the economy, and failing to secure the population, alongside allegations of arbitrary arrests targeting political opponents and military officers. The government in Kinshasa has not yet publicly responded to these serious claims.

Kabila governed the DRC from 2001 until January 2019, stepping down when President Tshisekedi assumed office following a disputed election. Although the two initially formed an informal power-sharing arrangement, their alliance eventually collapsed. Kabila subsequently entered self-imposed exile in 2023 before returning to Goma the following year. While he remained out of the public eye for extended periods, his recent return to political prominence signals a deepening crisis.

The DRC has long struggled with instability, particularly in its mineral-rich eastern provinces where over a hundred militia groups operate amid ethnic tensions and resource competition. The integration of former president Kabila into the M23-aligned coalition dramatically escalates the political stakes. Meanwhile, international bodies and Western governments continue to accuse neighboring Rwanda of backing the M23 insurgency, an allegation that Kigali consistently denies while maintaining that its regional military presence is strictly defensive.