DR Congo Accuses Ex-President Kabila of Planning ‘General Attack’ After Alliance With M23 Rebels
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has accused former president Joseph Kabila of preparing a “general attack” against the government after he joined forces with the M23 rebel movement, escalating tensions amid the country’s ongoing conflict in the east.
Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya told Agence France-Presse on Friday that Kabila had decided to formalise what Kinshasa described as a broad offensive against the state.
“The choice to take up arms means killing Congolese in order to try to conquer territories,” Muyaya said, accusing the new alliance of seeking to rebrand itself without changing its underlying objectives.
Kabila, who governed the country from 2001 to 2019, on Monday became the leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a new political and military coalition that includes the M23 rebels and the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC).
The coalition, unveiled in the eastern city of Goma, says it aims to restore what it describes as legitimate national governance and end what it calls tyranny, including through the use of force.
Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Kabila of collaborating with the rebels. In September 2025, a Congolese military court sentenced him to death in absentia for treason and other offences linked to the conflict. Kabila has rejected the accusations and described the proceedings as politically motivated.
The alliance also raises concerns for diplomatic efforts to end the fighting. The M23 and the Congolese government have been involved in Qatar-mediated negotiations, and the new coalition says it will honour commitments made through the Doha process.
The M23, which has seized major towns in eastern Congo, including Goma and Bukavu, is accused by the United Nations and several Western governments of receiving support from neighbouring Rwanda. Kigali denies backing the group.
It remains unclear whether Kabila’s leadership will significantly change the military balance or the prospects for peace talks. The latest developments, however, add a prominent former national leader to an insurgency that has displaced millions and destabilised the Great Lakes region.
