Former Congo president Joseph Kabila becomes leader of a rebel alliance

Joseph Kabila, aged 55 and a former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), was named this month as leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel alliance that seeks to oust current President Félix Tshisekedi. Kabila ruled for 18 years before handing power to Tshisekedi, with whom he later formed a coalition government. His appointment confirmed what many Congolese had long believed: that he was working with the M23 rebels, who last year seized much of eastern DR Congo, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu.

Calculations and allies

Policy analyst Henry-Pacifique Mayala said Kabila had few options left for regaining influence. He has been sentenced to death in absentia and faces US sanctions over alleged support for the M23. For the M23, he brings the experience and networks of a former head of state, since the group's military gains have not yet won broad national legitimacy. Richard Moncrieff of the International Crisis Group noted that Tshisekedi retains substantial advantages: American backing, money, and control of the political and military systems.

Kabila has likened Tshisekedi to the former dictator Mobutu and accused the government of using the death penalty to intimidate civilians, politicians and soldiers, himself included. The C64 coalition of opposition parties refused to back the rebellion, saying the country's security crises cannot be solved by military means alone. It plans to seek direct talks with both leaders.

Background

After the disputed 2018 election, Kabila and Tshisekedi shared power, but the arrangement collapsed in December 2020. Kabila went into self-imposed exile in South Africa, returned in 2025 and appeared in rebel-held Goma. In September that year, a military court sentenced him to death in absentia on charges including treason. He rejected the accusations.

Fighting in the east continues despite a peace accord overseen by the US last year. Elections are scheduled for 2028, but Tshisekedi has warned that the fighting could delay them.