Former President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced on Monday the formation of a new political-military coalition, aligning himself with the M23 rebel group and other armed factions operating in the country’s eastern provinces. The announcement of the alliance, named the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), was made from Kabila’s residence in Goma.
A spokesperson for the new coalition, Claude Ibalanky, stated the group’s objective is to “put an end to tyranny by any means necessary, including the use of force.”
The formation of the FRN formalizes an alliance between Kabila and groups that have been in active conflict with the DRC’s national army (FARDC). The announcement follows repeated accusations from President Felix Tshisekedi’s government that Kabila was collaborating with armed rebels. In October 2025, a military court in Kinshasa sentenced Kabila in absentia to death on charges including treason and collaboration with the M23. In April 2026, the United States government imposed sanctions on Kabila, citing his alleged funding of rebel groups.
The leadership of the FRN includes several figures from existing rebel and political factions. Corneille Nangaa, a former head of the DRC’s election commission who later founded the Congo River Alliance (AFC), will serve as a deputy to Kabila. Bertrand Bisimwa of the M23 will also serve as a deputy, while Sultani Makenga, an M23 military commander, was named the army chief of the new alliance.
The conflict in eastern DRC has been ongoing for decades, involving numerous armed groups. The March 23 Movement (M23) re-emerged as a significant force in 2022. The group states its objective is to protect the interests of Congolese Tutsis. Rebel forces, including the M23-AFC alliance, currently control territory in the North and South Kivu provinces, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.
The United Nations reports that the conflict has led to a severe humanitarian situation, with over 7.8 million people displaced internally and 28 million facing food shortages. International bodies have also commented on the conflict’s external dimensions. Both the United States and the United Nations have accused neighboring Rwanda of providing military support to the M23. The Rwandan government has consistently denied these allegations.
Joseph Kabila, 55, served as president of the DRC from 2001, succeeding his father, Laurent Kabila, after his assassination. His presidential tenure officially concluded in 2016, with the subsequent election held in 2018. He transferred power to the current president, Felix Tshisekedi, in 2019. Political tensions between the two leaders grew, and Kabila left the country in 2023 following the launch of corruption investigations against him by the Tshisekedi administration.
Kabila’s announcement of the FRN comes as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict continue. These include a U.S.-mediated peace process between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as separate talks mediated by Qatar between the DRC government and the M23-AFC alliance. The status of these negotiations following the formation of the new coalition has not been officially clarified by the involved parties.
