Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila Kabange has been named leader of a new political-military coalition bringing together figures associated with the AFC/M23 rebellion, in a move that could complicate efforts to end the conflict in the country’s mineral-rich east.
The coalition, known as the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), or Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, was announced in Goma on Monday, October 12, 2026, with Kabila as its president.
According to a founding declaration reported by Congolese news outlet Actualite.cd, the new movement formally ends the existence of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), the political wing associated with the M23 rebellion, and succeeds it as a political-military platform.
Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa have been appointed vice-presidents, while Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Sultani Makenga has been named chief of general staff of the coalition’s armed wing, the Congolese Revolutionary Army (ARC), with the rank of vice-president.
Freddy Rukema Kaniki has been appointed secretary-general and coordinator of the executive committee, with Benjamin Mbonimpa as deputy secretary-general.
The appointments were announced by coalition representatives at a press conference at Kabila’s residence in Goma, a city captured by M23 forces in January 2025.
Reuters and the Associated Press reported that the formation marks a more direct role for Kabila in the insurgency, which he had previously stopped short of openly supporting.
In a statement explaining the coalition’s objectives, adviser Claude Ibalanky said the FRN would seek to unite opposition forces and restore what its founders described as the foundations of a functioning republic.
“The mission of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation is to unite and coordinate all resistance forces in order to put an end to tyranny — by any means necessary, including force — and to chart a new course and create new prospects for the country,” Ibalanky said, according to Africanews.
The founding declaration said the signatories had agreed to pool their forces, resources and capabilities to establish a common framework for political and military action.
Another coalition member, Moïse Nyarugabo, issued a warning to President Félix Tshisekedi’s government, saying: “If he wants peace, we are ready to grant it to him; if he chooses war, he will get that too,” Africanews reported.
The Congolese government had not issued an immediate response to the announcement by the time of the Associated Press report.
Implications for peace talks
The establishment of the FRN raises questions about the future of negotiations between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 movement, which have been pursuing a Qatari-mediated peace process in Doha.
Despite diplomatic efforts, fighting has continued in eastern DRC, where M23 has captured significant territory, including Goma and other strategic urban centres.
Yvon Muya, a researcher at the University of Ottawa, told the Associated Press that Kabila’s leadership could signal a more direct confrontation with Tshisekedi’s government and potentially lead to an escalation of fighting.
The reorganisation could also complicate negotiations because the leaders previously associated with the AFC/M23 movement are now operating under a coalition headed by a former head of state.
The FRN’s declaration explicitly provides for the use of force, although it does not set out a specific timetable for military operations or announce a new offensive.
The United Nations, the United States and other Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting M23. Kigali denies backing the rebellion.
The conflict in eastern DRC has persisted for decades, fuelled by armed-group activity, political rivalries, disputes over land and resources, and regional tensions.
Kabila’s return to the political conflict
Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has been a longstanding political rival of Tshisekedi, who succeeded him following the December 2018 election.
The former president has previously denied allegations of supporting M23. Congolese authorities have accused him of collaborating with the rebellion and Rwanda.
In September 2025, a Congolese military court sentenced Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him on charges that included treason and war crimes. Kabila rejected the proceedings as politically motivated. The United States also imposed sanctions on him in 2026 over alleged support for armed groups operating in eastern DRC.
The creation of the FRN places Kabila at the head of a coalition that combines political opposition with the leadership of an armed movement controlling substantial territory in the east.
Whether the new arrangement strengthens the coalition’s military capacity or creates additional obstacles to a negotiated settlement remains uncertain.
For now, the announcement marks a significant realignment in the conflict: the former president is no longer merely an opposition figure accused of links to the rebellion, but the declared leader of a new political-military front that includes prominent AFC/M23 figures.
