Joseph Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia last year over alleged support for the insurgency he now openly leads
Former Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) President Joseph Kabila has launched a political and military front with rebel leaders, including those of M23, which has captured large parts of the country’s east in its war against the government.
The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) was announced on Monday at Kabila’s residence in Goma, the rebel-held capital of North Kivu province. Coalition adviser Claude Ibalanky said it would unite resistance forces to end what it calls “tyranny” through “any means necessary, including the use of force.”
The FRN replaces the Congo River Alliance (AFC), according to the declaration. Kabila heads it, with AFC leader Corneille Nangaa and M23 political chief Bertrand Bisimwa as vice presidents. M23 military commander Sultani Makenga will lead its armed forces.
On Friday, Kabila accused President Felix Tshisekedi’s government of corruption, poor governance, and military failures, and criticized its critical minerals agreement with the US.
Kabila took office in 2001 following the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Desire Kabila, and governed until Tshisekedi succeeded him in 2019. The 55-year-old returned to rebel-held Goma last year after living abroad, mostly in South Africa, since late 2023.
On September 30 last year, the High Military Court sentenced him to death in absentia for treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity over alleged support for M23. The verdict came about five months after Kinshasa suspended his party’s activities and ordered his assets seized. He denied the charges and called the proceedings politically motivated.
Washington imposed sanctions on him in April, accusing him of financing the AFC and encouraging Congolese troops to defect.
Eastern DR Congo has endured more than three decades of conflict, with dozens of armed groups competing for territory and mineral wealth. The AFC/M23 rebel coalition captured Goma and Bukavu during an offensive in early 2025. DR Congo, UN experts, and Western governments accuse Rwanda of backing it, which Kigali denies. The violence has killed thousands and deepened a humanitarian crisis, with 18.5 million people needing assistance this year, according to UN agencies.
Fighting has continued despite a US-brokered peace accord with Rwanda and Qatar-mediated talks with the rebels. Congolese news outlet Actualite.cd reported renewed clashes between AFC/M23 and pro-government Wazalendo militias near Bukavu on Sunday and Monday, with at least one child wounded by gunfire and residents fleeing.
