Kabila takes leadership of rebel coalition against Tshisekedi government

Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has taken the lead of a new rebel coalition seeking to overthrow the government of his successor, Félix Tshisekedi. The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) announced its aim to coordinate what it described as "resistance forces" against what it termed "tyranny" in the country, declaring it would pursue its goal "by all means, including force."

Kabila made the announcement at a press conference at his residence in Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo, where the M23 rebel group has exercised control since the previous year. Sultani Makenga, the leader of M23, will serve as one of four deputies under Kabila. The other three deputies come from the AFC-M23 alliance, which gained control of much of the mineral-rich eastern region during the past year.

This announcement marks Kabila's most explicit connection to the M23 insurgency to date, coming a year after a Congolese court sentenced him to death in absentia for treason. He had previously denied any involvement with the group. Before the announcement, Kabila criticized Tshisekedi's government for rejecting his proposals to resolve the eastern conflict, mismanaging the economy, and disregarding constitutional governance.