Former DRC President Kabila Forms Alliance With M23 Rebels

Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has officially allied with armed rebel groups, raising fears that the ongoing conflict in the country's east — which has claimed thousands of lives — will escalate further.

On Monday, Kabila unveiled a new political-military alliance aimed at replacing the M23-AFC coalition, which is fighting government forces and controls large swathes of territory.

The alliance's spokesperson, Claude Ibalanky, said the new movement would "put an end to the authoritarian regime by all necessary means, including the use of force" — a statement seen as a dire threat to the authorities in Kinshasa.

The timing comes exactly one year after Kabila was sentenced to death by a military court on charges of links to rebel groups.

What was announced

Kabila introduced the new alliance, named the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (Front pour la Refondation de la Nation – FRN), from his residence in Goma, confirming accusations the DRC government had long made.

The former president said he will lead the alliance. Corneille Nangaa — a Kabila ally who served as election commissioner before leaving the government to found the Congo River Alliance (AFC) — will serve as deputy, alongside Bertrand Bisimwa, the M23 spokesperson.

Dr Freddy Kaniki, a senior M23 health official, will serve as secretary-general, while M23's Sultani Makenga will be the alliance's army chief of staff.

Who is Kabila?

Kabila, 55, is the son of the late President Laurent Kabila. He took power at 29 in 2001 after his father was assassinated. He had previously served as army chief of staff and fought in Congo's two civil wars, when Rwanda backed rebel groups against long-time Congolese leader Mobutu Sese Seko.

Kabila's term, which officially ended in 2016, was marked by accusations of human rights abuses and corruption. He illegally delayed elections until 2018, citing difficulties with voter registration, and left office in 2019.

Before stepping down, Kabila was said to have signed a power-sharing deal with opposition candidate and election winner, current President Felix Tshisekedi. Kabila's allies were initially placed throughout the cabinet after the deal, but by 2020 Tshisekedi began removing them as the truce broke down bitterly.

The Tshisekedi administration also opened corruption investigations targeting Kabila, forcing him into self-imposed exile in South Africa from 2023.

Why is Kabila joining the rebel alliance?

The former president's latest move is not surprising; Kinshasa has long accused him of ties to the M23-AFC alliance.

As M23-AFC attacks intensified last year, Kabila wrote a scathing op-ed in South Africa's Sunday Times, accusing Tshisekedi of mishandling the conflict and proposing a "12-point plan" to restore peace. There were also reports of Kabila being seen in Goma — the rebel-held eastern region where he owns several homes.

Last October, a military court in Kinshasa sentenced Kabila to death on charges of treason, war crimes and several other serious offences, accusing him of cooperating with Rwanda and M23-AFC.

Last April, Washington imposed sanctions on Kabila, accusing him of financing rebel groups.

What does M23-AFC want?

Eastern DRC has been mired in violence for more than 30 years, with numerous armed groups vying for control of the region. The roots of the crisis lie in the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda, subsequent accusations that the DRC harboured Hutu armed groups, Kigali's determination to counter them, and deeply entrenched tribalism.

The March 23 Movement (M23) emerged in 2012 from the remnants of Congolese Tutsi armed groups that fought in the second Congo war. It says it is fighting for the rights of the minority Congolese Tutsi community and seeks to overthrow the authorities in Kinshasa.

M23 first seized Goma and other eastern towns in its 2012 offensives; however, its fighters were pushed back by UN special forces fighting alongside the FARDC — the Congolese army.

In 2022, as Tshisekedi's relationship with Kabila frayed, M23 re-emerged with a stronger force, reportedly backed by more than 4,000 Rwandan soldiers. Kigali has long accused successive Kinshasa administrations of supporting the Rwandan Liberation Democratic Forces (FDLR) armed group based in the DRC, including Hutu genocidaires.

In 2023, as M23 captured more towns and the Congolese army retreated, Nangaa — then election commissioner — also fell out with Tshisekedi, reportedly over his desire to run for office. He later went into exile, founded the AFC and allied with M23 as its political wing.

In early 2024, AFC-M23 launched lightning offensives, sweeping through vast areas of the east and rapidly seizing territory. Goma once again fell to AFC-M23 in January 2025, after fierce fighting that killed nearly 3,000 civilians.

The rebel force, which has been accused of massacring civilians, now controls North and South Kivu — Kabila's home region — including the provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu, as well as border crossings with Rwanda and Uganda. Kampala has also been accused of backing M23.

What does this mean for the conflict?

Al Jazeera correspondent Alain Uaykani reported that Congolese people fear the conflict could escalate again, and that some soldiers may defect to serve their former boss.

There are also concerns that ongoing peace talks could collapse. In June 2025, the DRC and Rwanda signed a US-led peace agreement.

In a separate process mediated by Qatar, the DRC and M23-AFC also signed the Doha Framework last November and are expected to meet this month.

However, the changes may not end the agreements between the DRC and Rwanda, as Kigali is likely to want to continue the US-led talks, according to Bram Verelst of the Institute for Security Studies, speaking to Al Jazeera.

He warned that the real threat lies in the Doha process.

"We are likely to see Kinshasa take a harder stance towards the rebel movement and Kabila, including efforts to isolate Kabila and the FRN regionally," Verelst said.

"What this means for the conflict on the ground will depend on Kabila's ability to take control of the rebel movement and to build and expand the alliance beyond North and South Kivu," he added.