Kabila launches new movement to challenge Tshisekedi
Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has launched a new political-military movement aimed at overthrowing President Félix Tshisekedi’s government.
The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) was launched on Monday in Goma, eastern Congo, with Kabila as its leader.
The movement brings together several figures associated with the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the M23 rebel group, including Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa, who were named second and first vice presidents, respectively.
Maj. Gen. Sultani Makenga was appointed vice president and remains chief of staff of the movement’s armed forces. Prof. Freddy Kaniki was named secretary-general, while Benjamin Mbonimpa was appointed deputy secretary-general. Désiré Rukomera was named permanent secretary of the College of Founders.
Kabila’s announcement comes amid persistent political tensions and insecurity in eastern Congo, where the conflict involving the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 movement has continued.
In a national address on Friday, October 9, Kabila accused Tshisekedi of deepening the country’s security crisis by pursuing a military solution to the conflict rather than advancing negotiations.
He said the government had shown little willingness to pursue talks with the AFC/M23 movement while continuing military operations that, in his view, undermined efforts to end the fighting.
“The incumbent leadership has made the politically self-serving choice to pursue a war it seemingly has neither the will nor the means to win,” Kabila said, citing what he described as the failure to honour a ceasefire agreed in Doha in October 2025.
He also accused the government of working with armed groups, including the Mai-Mai, now known as Wazalendo, and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). He further alleged that government forces continued to supply weapons and ammunition to allied groups and shell civilian areas.
Kabila also criticised proposals to amend the Constitution, arguing that Tshisekedi’s government was prioritising its political survival over addressing the country’s security and political crises.
“He acts more like the leader of a clan than a head of state,” Kabila said of Tshisekedi. “He honours no agreements, keeps neither his word nor his promises, and upholds no commitments.”
Kabila handed power to Tshisekedi in January 2019 after nearly 18 years in office. He said the current president had failed to deliver tangible results and had lost legitimacy in the eyes of the Congolese people.
He warned that the country’s future was at stake and called on Congolese citizens to take responsibility for its direction.
