Joseph Kabila’s FRN reports attacks in Eastern DRC, Accuses Kinshasa of deploying FDLR fighters
Joseph Kabila’s newly announced FRN movement reports attacks in North and South Kivu, alleging FDLR fighters and mercenaries were involved.
The Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), a newly announced armed movement led by former Congolese president Joseph Kabila, says its forces are confronting attacks by a coalition of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government forces in several areas of eastern Congo.
In a statement dated October 13, 2026, the FRN accused the coalition of launching major attacks in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces earlier that morning, alleging that fighters from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and mercenaries had been deployed at the forefront of the offensive.
According to the statement, the reported attacks affected several locations across the two provinces, including Rugezi and neighbouring areas around Minembwe; Nabumbu and Mitimbili in the Kaziba sector of Walungu territory; Rumbishi in Kalehe territory; and Kasovu and Kumadepo in Masisi territory.
The FRN said the fighting had forced residents to flee their homes, further worsening the humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC, where prolonged armed conflict has displaced civilians and disrupted access to essential services.
The movement said its forces were responding to the reported attacks and preparing to protect civilians and push back the advancing forces.
“As attacks intensify on several fronts, FRN forces are currently engaged in operations to protect the population and repel them,” the statement said.
The FRN did not provide independently verifiable figures on casualties, displacement or the extent of territorial changes resulting from the reported clashes.
New Movement Emerges Amid Eastern DRC Conflict
The reported fighting comes one day after the announcement of the FRN on October 12, 2026.
The movement is led by Joseph Kabila, who served as president of the DRC from 2001 to 2019. According to the information provided in the announcement, the FRN brings together former members of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) coalition and MRDP Twirwaneho.
Its emergence adds another development to the complex conflict landscape in eastern DRC, where government forces and various armed groups have been involved in prolonged fighting over territory and political influence.
The FRN's statement portrays the latest clashes as an effort by government-aligned forces to attack areas where the movement operates. However, further independent information is needed to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported operations and the involvement of the groups named in the statement.
