Ex-DRC President Joseph Kabila joins hands with M23 rebels: Why it matters

What the report says

Former Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila has publicly aligned himself with armed rebel groups in the country’s east, according to Al Jazeera, a move that appears to confirm long-running allegations from Kinshasa that he maintained ties to the M23-led insurgency. Kabila announced a new political-military coalition, the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), from his residence in Goma, a rebel-held city in North Kivu. He said he would lead the alliance, with figures linked to the M23-AFC camp taking senior roles.

The reported announcement matters because it comes amid a fragile and prolonged conflict in eastern DRC, where M23 and allied forces control territory and have repeatedly clashed with government troops. Al Jazeera said the region has faced violence for years, with major displacement and humanitarian strain, and that the latest realignment could deepen instability. The article also notes that Kabila had previously been sentenced to death by a military court on charges connected to alleged collaboration with rebels and Rwanda, and that the United States imposed sanctions on him in April for allegedly funding rebel groups.

The report adds that the new alliance could complicate ongoing peace efforts. The DRC and Rwanda signed a US-backed peace agreement in June 2025, while a separate Doha process between Kinshasa and the M23-AFC coalition was also underway. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera warned that Kabila’s entry into the rebel camp may harden the government’s position and raise the risk of further defections or a wider escalation. Contextually, the eastern DRC conflict has roots in regional wars, ethnic tensions and competition for control over a mineral-rich border area.