Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has been appointed as the leader of a new rebel coalition, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), which aims to oust the current government. The coalition was unveiled on Monday and seeks to coordinate "resistance forces" to end what it describes as "tyranny" in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stating it will pursue its goals "by all means, including force."
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This announcement marks the clearest indication of Kabila's direct involvement in an armed movement since he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason a year ago. Previously, he had denied any connections to the M23 rebel group. The Congolese government has yet to comment on this development.
The coalition was announced during a press conference held at Kabila's residence in Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, which has been under M23 control since last year. Sultani Makenga, the leader of M23, will serve as one of Kabila's four deputies in this new movement, with the other three deputies also coming from the AFC-M23 alliance, which seized much of the mineral-rich eastern DRC last year.
