Ex-president Kabila linked to new rebel movement targeting DR Congo government

Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has been named leader of a new armed political coalition, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), aimed at overthrowing President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration, according to a report by Sahara Reporters.

​The announcement, delivered at Kabila’s residence in rebel-held Goma, marks the clearest indication yet of his direct leadership in an armed movement. The coalition stated it would assemble “resistance forces” to stop “tyranny” using “all means, including force.”

​M23 rebel leader Sultani Makenga and three other senior members of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)-M23 were designated as Kabila’s deputies. The development follows accusations from Kabila that Tshisekedi’s government is weakening constitutional rule, mismanaging the economy, and overseeing arbitrary arrests.

​Kabila, who previously denied links to M23 and was sentenced to death in absentia for treason, has intensified his opposition as political tensions escalate over proposed constitutional changes that could permit Tshisekedi to seek a third term.