Fears grow in DRC as former President Joseph Kabila joins rebellion

Goma, DR Congo – Hopes for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have suffered another setback after former President Joseph Kabila joined a new political-military coalition challenging President Felix Tshisekedi.Announced in Goma on Monday evening, the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), or Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, is led by Kabila and replaces the existing alliance between the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the March 23 Movement (M23). The new coalition brings together figures and forces associated with the two movements, accuses Tshisekedi of tyranny and calls for resistance by all means, including force.Goma, the main city in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province, has been under M23-AFC control since January last year. Kabila’s move brings a former head of state directly into the leadership of the rebellion.The conflict has displaced millions and drawn in neighbouring countries. Its roots stretch back decades, shaped by regional rivalries, unresolved security concerns and competition for territory and mineral resources. The aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide helped fuel wars across the region, while tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali c...