Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila Becomes Head of a New Political-Military Coalition

Former Congolese President Takes Over New Rebel Coalition DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila this week became the head of a new political-military coalition made up of rebel groups fighting government forces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), complicating the conflict and peace efforts in eastern DRC. The move comes after Kabila previously denied ties to the M23-led rebel alliance, backed by Rwanda, which seized large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DRC last year. In a statement Monday, the newly formed Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) said it aimed to unite and coordinate "resistance forces" to end "tyranny" in the DRC, pledging to pursue its goals "by all means, including force." The group’s adviser Claude Ibalanky said Kabila would lead the coalition alongside two vice presidents, Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa, while M23 leader Sultani Makenga would serve as military chief of staff. The DRC government did not comment on the announcement. The development comes a little more than a year after a DRC military court sentenced Kabila to death after convicting him of treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity over his alleged support for the M23-led rebellion. Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Kabila of supporting the M23 rebels, but the former president has rejected the allegations and described the case against him as politically motivated. Kabila governed the DRC from 2001 until 2019, after which he was succeeded by his former ally, current President Felix Tshisekedi. But the two leaders later fell out and Kabila went into self-imposed exile in 2023 before returning to the rebel-controlled eastern city of Goma last year. Days before FRN’s formation, Kabila delivered an address in which he accused Tshisekedi of corruption, failing to improve security and persecuting political opponents, and criticized the government’s mineral deal with the United States. Tshisekedi’s administration responded to his claims, with government spokesman Patrick Muyaya accusing Kabila of clinging to undemocratic practices. Observers warned that the new coalition could further complicate the conflict in eastern DRC, where more than 100 armed groups are fighting for political influence and control of the region’s vast mineral wealth.