Ex-president named leader of new DR Congo rebel coalition

ByEmery Makumeno, BBC Africa, Reporting fromKinshasa and Basillioh Rukanga. 13 October 2026, 09: 21 BST.

Key points

• When Tshisekedi took office after a disputed election, kabila, 55, ruled DR Congo from 2001 until January 2019.
• Richard Moncrieff, who monitors Africa's Great Lakes region for the International Crisis Group (ICG) notes the new coalition is aimed at trying to enlarge the rebellion.
• According to Tshisekedi's second term ends in 2028 but in May he, elections, which are due then, may not be held as of the conflict.
• On Friday, Kabila accused President Félix Tshisekedi's administration of disregarding proposals he had proposed last year, including some aimed at ending the conflict in eastern DR Congo.
• Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has been named the leader of a new rebel coalition seeking to oust the administration.

In practice, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) remarked it aimed to coordinate "resistance forces" to end "tyranny" in Democratic Republic of Congo and would pursue the goal "by all means, including force".

Its unveiling on Monday is the clearest indication so far of Kabila's direct involvement in an armed movement a year after he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason. He had previously denied having links to the M23 rebel group. The Congolese administration has not commented.

Claude Ibalanky, the coalition's adviser, confirmed the group's leadership at a press conference at Kabila's residence in Goma, the largest city in eastern DR Congo. It has been under the control of the M23 since last year.

Video published by the group demonstrated Kabila signing documents at the group's declaration along with other leaders.

M23 leader Sultani Makenga will serve as one of Kabila's four deputies in the new movement. The other three additionally come from the AFC-M23 alliance which last year seized much of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo. What's the fighting in DR Congo all regarding?

Notably, the announcement of the new group comes days after Kabila delivered an address in which he remarked he would set out how Congolese residents should act to "rescue" their country.

Kabila additionally accused the administration of undermining constitutional rule, mismanaging the economy and failing to improve security. He further alleged arbitrary arrests of political opponents and military officers. The administration has not publicly responded to those claims.

For context, the two were once political allies, forming an informal power-sharing arrangement after the transfer of power. They afterwards fell out and Kabila went into self-imposed exile in 2023 before returning to Goma last year.

For context, the former president had remained largely out of public view for a number of years but has become increasingly critical of his successor's administration.

In practice, the formation of the new coalition comes at an uncertain time in a country that has been wracked by violence for decades.

More than 100 militia groups are active in eastern DR Congo against the backdrop of ethnic tensions and fighting for political power and control of lucrative natural resources.

Meanwhile, the UN and Western governments accuse Rwanda of backing the M23 and controlling the rebels.

Rwanda denies supporting the M23 despite overwhelming evidence, and notes its military presence in eastern DR Congo is a defensive measure against threats posed by Congolese armed groups. Kabila has 'higher profile'.

He additionally hinted that he may seek re-election for a third term "if the people want".

Notably, the parliament has since passed a bill that could pave the way for a referendum that could remove the constitution's two-term limit.

Last month, authorities clashed with protesters holding demonstrations in the capital against the proposed changes.

He argues that through his "higher profile", Kabila hopes to obtain backing from individuals dissatisfied with Tshisekedi "beyond the very narrow political base that the M23 enjoys".

Notably, the analyst notes this appears to be Kabila's objective, to draw more senior Congolese army officers to his side and "lessen the reliance of the M23 on its Rwandan backers".

Kabila came to power after the assassination of his father Laurent Kabila. This person headed a national rebellion in the 1990s, backed by Rwanda. His forces marched nationwide, starting in the east, before taking over in the capital Kinshasa, some 1, 500km (1, 000 miles) away.

Moncrieff notes Kabila is drawing on that past to proclaim the illegitimacy of Tshisekedi's administration.

He nevertheless states it won't be straightforward to seize power like his father, partly as the US has imposed sanctions on Kabila. It he notes presumes American backing for DR Congo's administration.

In May the US imposed sweeping sanctions on Kabila, accusing him of backing the M23, providing financial backing, encouraging defections from the Congolese army. Kabila remarked the measures were unjustified and politically motivated.

For context, the US remarked they were part of a wider effort to backing last year's peace accord between DR Congo and Rwanda that it brokered.

Meanwhile, the latest events show peace negotiations are "going nowhere and attempting to gain control on the ground is the priority for all parties, " the ICG analyst notes. You may additionally be interested in. Your phone, a rare metal and the war in DR Congo.

As rebels offer BBC rare access, inside the Congolese mine vital to mobile phones.

Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

For now, ex-president named leader of new DR Congo rebel coalition remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.