Tshisekedi gives new orders to DR Congo’s Army amid emergence of Kabila’s FRN
DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi has issued new orders to the army and security forces amid concerns over Joseph Kabila’s new political and military group, the FRN
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi has given new orders to the country’s army and security forces to protect the country’s borders, citizens and their property. The move comes amid concerns over a new political and military group led by former president Joseph Kabila.
The orders were given during a meeting of the Supreme Council of Defence and Security, chaired by Tshisekedi in Kinshasa on October 14, 2026.
Major General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson for the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), said the president, who is also the commander-in-chief of the army, had given clear instructions to the military and security services.
He said the instructions aimed to help the forces carry out their duties to protect the country’s territory, its people and their property.
Ekenge added that the meeting also reviewed the security situation in different parts of the country. However, he did not provide details about the new orders or explain whether the army would change its operations.
The meeting took place two days after Kabila announced the creation of the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), a new political and military group that replaces the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which is linked to the M23 rebel movement fighting Tshisekedi’s government.
The FRN includes Kabila and senior AFC/M23 leaders such as Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa and General Sultani Makenga.
The group says it wants to bring together forces opposed to Tshisekedi’s government. It has also said it is ready to use all necessary means, including military force, to achieve its goals.
The creation of the FRN has raised concerns about the future of security in the DRC, especially in the eastern part of the country, where M23 controls key cities, including Goma and Bukavu.
Kabila ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019. His return to the centre of a political and military movement opposed to the current government has added to the country’s political and security challenges.
