Former DR Congo President Kabila heads new movement launched in Goma
Former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has been named leader of the new Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), launched in Goma alongside former AFC/M23 leaders
Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has been named leader of a newly launched politico-military movement, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), announced in Goma on Monday, October 12, 2026.
The formation of the FRN marks a significant political development in the ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo, with the announcement also declaring the dissolution of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)/M23 alliance.
Under the new structure, former M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa, former electoral commission chief Corneille Nangaa and Major General Sultani Makenga have been appointed vice-presidents.
Makenga will retain his position as chief of the general staff of the Congolese Revolutionary Army (ARC), the armed wing fighting against the government of President Félix Tshisekedi.
The announcement was made in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which under AFC/M23 control since January 2025. Claude Ibalanky, a former adviser to Tshisekedi, read the statement announcing the creation of the new movement.
Kabila's return to the political spotlight
Kabila governed DR Congo from 2001 to 2019, taking power following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. He was succeeded by Tshisekedi, with whom he later fell out politically.
Following their split, Kabila went into self-imposed exile in South Africa, where he said he spent six years pursuing doctoral studies. He returned to DR Congo in May 2025, arriving in Goma, then under AFC/M23 control.
His return intensified tensions with the government in Kinshasa, which accused him of treason. In September 2025, a military court tried him in absentia and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
His appointment as leader of the FRN places him at the centre of a new political-military arrangement emerging amid the protracted conflict between the Congolese government and armed groups operating in the country's east.
Former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila was named as the leader of a new politico-military movement called the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), launched in Goma on Monday, October 12.
Kabila renews criticism of Tshisekedi
The launch of the FRN comes less than a week after Kabila sharply criticised Tshisekedi's handling of the conflict, accusing his successor of prioritising war over a negotiated settlement.
In a statement, Kabila argued that the government had made a politically motivated decision to pursue a war it lacked the willingness or capacity to win. He also accused Kinshasa of failing to honour a ceasefire agreement reached with AFC/M23 in Doha, Qatar, in October 2025.
In a national address on October 2, Kabila further accused the government of continuing to cooperate with armed groups, including the Mai-Mai fighters operating under the Wazalendo label and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
He also alleged that the government was supplying weapons and ammunition to allied armed groups, conducting shelling that endangered civilians and refusing to engage in an inclusive national dialogue.
The creation of the FRN and the announced dissolution of the AFC/M23 alliance introduce a new political framework involving figures associated with the rebellion and a former head of state who remains in confrontation with Kinshasa.
