Ex-Congo president Kabila joins M23 in new rebel front

Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila was named leader of a new political and military coalition with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, at a news conference in the rebel-held eastern city of Goma.

The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, known by its French initials FRN, says it will fight President Félix Tshisekedi’s government “by all means, including force,” according to its founding declaration, as reported by Al Jazeera and the news outlet TheCable. Kabila, 55, governed Congo from 2001 to January 2019.

The announcement puts the man who ruled Congo for 18 years at the head of an armed movement that has held Goma since January 2025. It also arrives weeks before peace talks between Kinshasa and M23 were expected to resume in Qatar in November, Al Jazeera reported.

Claude Ibalanky, an adviser to the coalition, said it aims to “unite and coordinate all resistance forces to put an end to tyranny – by any means necessary, including the use of force,” according to Eastleigh Voice, which cited The Associated Press. He also said the signatories had “decided to pool their forces, resources, and means to create a framework for action.”

Corneille Nangaa, the former leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), the political wing of M23, is among the coalition’s deputies. TheCable reported that Bertrand Bisimwa, Freddy Kaniki and M23 military commander Sultani Makenga were also named to senior roles. The Rio Times, citing the founding text, described Kaniki as secretary general and Makenga as chief of general staff, so the reports differ on exact titles.

The declaration says the FRN “succeeds by right” the AFC, according to The Rio Times. It sets no timetable for military operations and announces no offensive. It is also unclear whether M23 continues as a separate group inside the front, and sources quoted by Congolese outlet Actualite.cd gave conflicting accounts, The Rio Times said.

The Congolese government had not formally responded to the coalition by Tuesday, Al Jazeera and TheCable reported. Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya called Kabila “a man of the past” on X after a speech Kabila gave on Oct. 9, The Rio Times reported. Congo’s media regulator president, Christian Bosembe, called the announcement “shattering” and said it could extend a media ban on armed groups to Kabila.

Kabila has long denied backing M23. A Congolese military court sentenced him to death in absentia last year for treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity, finding that he collaborated with Rwanda and M23. He rejects the charges and calls the case politically motivated. The United States imposed sanctions on him earlier this year over alleged support for rebel groups, Eastleigh Voice reported.

Rwanda denies backing M23, an accusation made by Congo, the United States and United Nations experts. A UN Group of Experts report dated June 11, 2026, foresaw a restructuring of the AFC/M23 bloc with a leading role for Kabila, The Rio Times reported.

Yvon Muya, a researcher at the University of Ottawa, told Al Jazeera that the move raises the chances of a direct confrontation between Kabila and Tshisekedi. “You don’t make an announcement like this without having prepared the actions that follow,” Muya said, adding that he expects escalation on the military front. Al Jazeera’s correspondent also reported fears that government soldiers could defect to Kabila, a former army chief.

For Canadians, the risk is practical. The Government of Canada’s travel advice for Congo (Kinshasa) is at its highest level, “Avoid all travel,” as last updated on Sept. 28. Canada’s Ebola-related entry restrictions, covered in our earlier report, stay in place until Nov. 27, while Congo’s Ebola death toll was reported above 4,000 in this coverage. Eastern Congo also supplies coltan, tin, gold and cobalt used in electronics and batteries.

Tshisekedi’s second term ends in 2028. Parliament has passed a bill that could lead to a referendum on the constitution’s two-term limit, and the proposal sparked protests in Kinshasa last month, TheCable reported.

Watch for Kinshasa’s formal response, including any legal action against the front, and whether the African Union facilitators treat the FRN as a party to the talks. Neither had been announced as of Tuesday.

Via Al Jazeera, Eastleigh Voice (citing The Associated Press), TheCable and The Rio Times. Kabila’s remarks and the coalition’s claims are as reported by those outlets and have not been independently verified by Canada News Media.

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