Symbolic imageKabila to head new rebel front including M23 in eastern DR Congo
Former president Joseph Kabila will lead the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, which absorbs the Rwanda-backed M23. The FT says it further complicates US peace efforts.
The front (FRN) was announced on Monday, 12 October, at Kabila's residence in Goma, held by M23 since January 2025. Le Monde reports it replaces the AFC/M23 coalition, with Bertrand Bisimwa, Corneille Nangaa and Sultani Makenga as deputies; Makenga stays military chief. Coalition adviser Claude Ibalanky said it aims to unite resistance forces to end tyranny "by any means necessary, including the use of force". Kabila, sentenced to death in absentia in September 2025 for treason, had accused President Tshisekedi on Friday of seeking to stay on beyond the two-term limit in 2028.
Escalation fears
The FT says little changes on the ground immediately, since the alliance already existed, and a western diplomat says reaching Katanga would need heavy investment in men and weapons. Al Jazeera's reporter in Goma describes fears of army defections, and researcher Yvon Muya expects military escalation.
Peace tracks
Government and M23 delegates were expected to meet in Qatar in November, and analysts warn the new coalition could undermine the talks. African Union facilitators consulted in Goma on 5 October and in Kigali on 6 October on implementing the Washington agreement.