Kabila becomes leader of armed coalition seeking to remove DR Congo government
Former Congolese president Joseph Kabila has announced leadership of a new rebel coalition called the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, which includes the M23 rebel group. The coalition, unveiled in Goma, declares its intention to remove President Félix Tshisekedi's government through 'all means, including force.' This represents Kabila's clearest direct involvement with the eastern insurgency.
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Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has assumed leadership of a newly formed rebel coalition aimed at removing his successor, Félix Tshisekedi, from power. The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) coordinates resistance forces and declares its mission to end what it characterises as 'tyranny' in DR Congo. The coalition has committed to pursuing this objective 'by all means, including force.'
Kabila unveiled the coalition at a press conference held at his residence in Goma, the principal city in eastern DR Congo. Goma has been controlled by the M23 rebel group since the previous year. Sultani Makenga, the leader of M23, will serve as one of Kabila's four deputy leaders. The remaining three deputies originate from the AFC-M23 alliance, which captured much of the mineral-rich eastern region during the past year.
This announcement follows Kabila's death sentence in absentia for treason, which a Congolese court pronounced a year ago. Kabila has repeatedly criticised Tshisekedi's government for ignoring his proposals to resolve the eastern conflict, mismanaging the economy, and violating constitutional principles. The formalisation of Kabila's alliance with M23 significantly strengthens the organised opposition to the authority of Kinshasa, the capital, and signals a potentially broader challenge to the current government's control.
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