Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has announced the formation of a new 'politico-military' alliance with the M23 rebels. The alliance, known as the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), was unveiled at a joint press conference at Kabila's residence in Goma, a city in eastern DRC under M23 control since January 2025. Kabila will head the movement, with senior rebel figures serving as his deputies. The FRN aims to "put an end to tyranny by any means, including force".
The alliance represents a significant escalation in Kabila's confrontation with the government of his successor, Félix Tshisekedi. Kabila, 55, ruled DRC from 2001 until 2019 and has largely stayed out of public view since leaving office. He was sentenced to death in absentia in 2025 after being convicted of "complicity" with the M23. Congolese authorities have also accused him of being one of the driving forces behind the Congo River Alliance, which previously served as the political wing of the M23 before being dissolved.
Kabila has denied allegations of involvement with the Congo River Alliance. The new alliance comes as political attention increasingly turns to 2028, when Tshisekedi is due to complete his second and final five-year term under the constitution. Figures within the presidential majority have raised the prospect of constitutional changes, prompting opposition concerns over whether the rules on presidential mandates could be revised.
The M23, whose leadership is drawn largely from the Congolese Tutsi community, first launched an insurgency in eastern DRC in 2012 and returned to arms in late 2021. The group has since captured extensive territory in North and South Kivu, including Goma. The United Nations and Western governments accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels, a charge Kigali denies.
Eastern DRC has been affected by armed conflict for more than three decades, displacing millions of people despite repeated diplomatic efforts. A Washington-backed agreement between Kinshasa and Kigali signed in December has so far produced little change on the ground, while a separate ceasefire process agreed between the Congolese government and M23 under Qatari mediation in July 2025 has also failed to halt the fighting.
Kabila's new role now ties the eastern rebellion more directly to the political struggle over Congo's future leadership. The FRN brings together one of the country's most prominent political figures with an armed movement that controls large areas of eastern DRC. The alliance is seen as a significant development in the country's ongoing conflict and political tensions.
The formation of the FRN has sparked concerns over the potential for further violence and instability in the region. Kabila first came to power in 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. He was elected president in 2006 and re-elected in 2011, before eventually stepping down following the 2018 election that brought Tshisekedi to power.
Key points
- Former DRC President Joseph Kabila forms new alliance with M23 rebels.
- The alliance aims to "put an end to tyranny by any means, including force".
- The development ties the eastern rebellion more directly to the political struggle over Congo's future leadership.
