Former DRC President Kabila Joins New Coalition Challenging Tshisekedi
Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has joined a new political-military coalition challenging President Felix Tshisekedi.
The coalition, called the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), or Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, was announced in Goma on Monday evening, according to Al Jazeera. It is led by Kabila and replaces the existing alliance between the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the March 23 Movement (M23).
The FRN accuses Tshisekedi of tyranny and calls for resistance by all means, including force. The announcement has raised fears of a deeper confrontation between the former president's camp and the government in Kinshasa.
Goma is the main city in North Kivu province in eastern Congo. It has been under M23-AFC control since January last year, as reported on Oct. 18, 2026.
Kabila came to power in 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila. He was elected president in 2006 and re-elected in 2011. His second constitutional term was due to end in 2016, but elections were delayed, and Tshisekedi succeeded him as president in 2019.
M23 says it took up arms because the Congolese government failed to honour earlier commitments. The Congolese government and international actors have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, an allegation Rwanda denies.
The United States had earlier imposed sanctions on Kabila for his support of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, according to Reuters. Kabila's open alignment with the rebellion now formalizes a split that had been building for months.
