Joseph Kabila's decision to lead a new political-military movement, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), puts the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in more direct confrontation with President Felix Tshisekedi's government. Kabila announced the FRN on October 12 in Goma, eastern DRC, at his residence, where leaders of the AFC/M23 rebel movements joined him.

FRN coalition adviser, Claude Ibalanky, said the group would unite opposition forces, including figures associated with the AFC/M23 movement. The new structure succeeds the Congo River Alliance (AFC), which had been allied with the M23 rebellion. Its leadership includes former AFC leader Corneille Nangaa and M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa. Sultani Makenga, a senior M23 military commander, was also assigned a senior role in the new organization.

The announcement comes as diplomatic initiatives seek to end fighting between Congolese government forces and the rebellion.

Congolese authorities have accused Kabila of supporting the insurgency, allegations he has denied. On September 30, 2025, a military court sentenced him to death in absentia after convicting him of treason, war crimes and other offenses linked to the conflict in eastern DRC. Kabila has rejected the case as politically motivated.

Adolph Amisi Makutano, an official of the ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), criticized the former president for taking a more public role.

"It was a lack of courage that made this gentleman drag his feet. They held several meetings and today he is being pushed to step out into the open. But it is a disgrace for the DRC," Makutano said.

Why is eastern Congo at war?

Eastern DRC has experienced decades of conflict involving armed groups, competition over territory andmineral resources, and tensions with neighboring countries.

The aftermath of Rwanda's 1994 genocide against the Tutsicontributed to successive regional conflicts, as armed groups and refugees crossed borders and neighboring states became involved in Congo's civil wars.

M23 takes its name from a March 23, 2009, peace agreement. The movement says the Congolese government failed to honor commitments to integrate its fighters and protect minority Congolese Tutsis.

Kinshasa, the United Nations (UN) and Western governments haveaccused Rwanda of supporting M23 and exercising influence over its operations. Rwanda denies backing the rebellion and cites security threats posed by armed groups operating in Congo. In 2025, M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, two major cities in eastern Congo. Its territorial gains weakened government control across parts of the region, displaced civilians and intensified an already severe humanitarian crisis.

Kabila's leadership of the new front raises questions about whether he intends to consolidate opposition to Tshisekedi, strengthen the rebellion's political leadership, or pursue both.

Political implications of Kabila's move

Alex Vines, Africa program director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, sees the move as evidence that Kabila remains politically ambitious. "It shows Kabila's political ambition is alive and kicking and he is prepared to challenge Tshisekedi," Vines told DW.

Timo Roujean, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's office in Kinshasa, cautioned against assessing Kabila's potential support based on ethnic identity alone. He told DW that economic performance and political dynamics in Kabila's home region of Katanga are also relevant.

The new front could give the movement more explicitly political leadership, but it remains unclear whether the reorganization will broaden its domestic support or alter its negotiating position. Conflict analyst Cliffton Chifuwe told DW the alliance does not rule out a negotiated settlement, but could make a durable agreement harder to achieve.

"The Kabila alliance with M23 does not make peace impossible. However, it raises the threshold for achieving that settlement and its ability to hold," Chifuwe told DW.

For Chifuwe, lasting peace requires more than a cessation of hostilities. It also depends on credible security arrangements, the restoration of state authority, humanitarian access, and conditions that allow displaced people to return safely. The new FRN coalition also raises questions for mediators about whether existing peace frameworks can accommodate the political realignment and whether the parties involved can ensure compliance with any agreement.

As this new development plays out, the central issue for civilians in eastern Congo remains whether the leadership change will open a path to settlement or make an already complex conflict harder to resolve.

Wendy Bashi, Saleh Mwanamilongo and Jean Noel Ba Mweze contributed to this article

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu