Former Congo President Kabila Joins Forces With M23 Rebels

Former Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) President Joseph Kabila has formed a new political and military coalition with the M23 rebel group, escalating his confrontation with President Félix Tshisekedi’s government.

The coalition, known as the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), was announced on Monday at a press conference at Kabila’s residence in Goma, a city in eastern DR Congo controlled by M23 since January 2025.

According to the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse, the new alliance brings together several groups opposed to Tshisekedi’s administration, including M23 and factions previously associated with the Congo River Alliance.

Kabila will lead the coalition, while Corneille Nangaa, the former leader of the Congo River Alliance, will serve as one of its four vice-presidents.

A coalition adviser, Claude Ibalanky, said the group intended to unite resistance forces to end what it described as tyranny, including through the use of force.

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The announcement poses a fresh challenge to Tshisekedi’s government and could complicate ongoing efforts to end the conflict in eastern DR Congo, where armed groups have fought for control of territory for decades.

M23 has seized key areas in the mineral-rich eastern region, forcing thousands of people from their homes. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United States and United Nations experts have accused Rwanda of supporting the group, an allegation Kigali denies.

Kabila’s move comes after a Congolese military court sentenced him to death in absentia last year on charges including treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court accused him of collaborating with Rwanda and M23.

The former president has rejected the case as politically motivated and denied the allegations.

The United States also imposed sanctions on Kabila earlier this year over his alleged support for armed groups operating in eastern DR Congo.

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