Former Congolese president Joseph Kabila forms coalition including M23 rebels
AFRICAGEOPOLITICSGLOBAL SECURITY
Photo: AP/Moses Sawasawa
Former Joseph Kabila announced on 12 October the formation of a new political-military coalition, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), bringing together opposition factions including the M23 rebel movement. The coalition was announced in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Corneille Nangaa, formerly associated with the Congo River Alliance, is among its four vice presidents. A coalition adviser said it intended to coordinate opposition forces, including through armed resistance.
The announcement adds a new political dimension to the conflict in eastern Congo, where M23 and other armed groups have seized substantial territory. The Congolese government, the United States and UN experts have accused neighbouring Rwanda of supporting M23; Rwanda's role remains a central issue in regional diplomacy. Kabila, who governed Congo from 2001 to 2019, was sentenced to death in absentia by a Congolese military court last year on charges including treason and war crimes. He rejects the proceedings as politically motivated. Meanwhile, negotiations between the Congolese government and the M23-linked alliance in Doha have made limited progress.
The new coalition could complicate peace negotiations by consolidating armed opposition and linking it more directly to a former head of state. Eastern Congo's mineral wealth, regional security disputes and the involvement of external actors make the conflict a question of political authority as well as territorial control. The immediate concern is whether the new alignment will intensify fighting and further obstruct a settlement that protects civilians, addresses regional security concerns and establishes accountable governance.