Two brigadier generals from the Democratic Republic of Congo's armed forces (FARDC) have reportedly joined the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition led by former president Joseph Kabila. Brigadier General François Kamanzi, previously operations commander of the FARDC's 12th Military Region in Kongo-Central Province, was the first high-ranking officer publicly identified as having joined the FRN's military wing, known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army (ARC).
A second brigadier general, Germain Katanga, was reported to have joined the movement on October 29-30, with regional media reports indicating he had arrived in Goma. Other officers named in the reported defections include Colonel Dem Umba Ndolo Ghislain, deputy commander for operations and intelligence of the 61st Infantry Brigade based in Nyunzu, Tanganyika Province, and Lieutenant Lemba Lula Arnold, an officer of the Republican Guard.
The reported movement of ordinary soldiers is even larger, with 635 FARDC soldiers said to have crossed into FRN-controlled territory through Nzibira in South Kivu on October 28. They were reportedly accompanied by seven officers, including four colonels, two lieutenant colonels, and one captain, as well as seven lieutenants.
The FRN was launched in Goma on October 12, with Kabila named as its president, bringing together leading figures from the former Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and M23 movement. Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa were named vice-presidents, while Major General Sultani Makenga was appointed chief of staff of the movement's military wing.
The reported defections have come as the Congolese army faces renewed fighting in parts of South Kivu, particularly around Uvira and Fizi. The FARDC high command has responded with an appeal to soldiers and young people it says were forcibly recruited by the rebels, urging those who had joined the FRN to abandon the movement and return with their weapons.
Kinshasa has not publicly confirmed the reported defections of Kamanzi, Katanga, or the hundreds of soldiers, with the developments coming amid continuing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, including African Union-facilitated talks in Goma.
The reported arrival of senior FARDC officers in the FRN ranks, if confirmed, would add another dimension to the conflict, raising questions about military loyalty and the ability of the Congolese army to retain personnel as fighting continues in the country's east.
Key points
- Two DR Congo army generals and over 600 soldiers have reportedly defected to the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition led by former president Joseph Kabila.
- The FRN was launched in Goma on October 12, with Kabila named as its president, bringing together leading figures from the former Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and M23 movement.
- The reported defections have come as the Congolese army faces renewed fighting in parts of South Kivu, particularly around Uvira and Fizi.
