By Sandra Kenneth
The Democratic Republic of Congo government has launched a scathing attack on former President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of planning a “general attack” after aligning himself with the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group to battle state forces.
Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya made the declaration in an interview with AFP on Friday, stating that the former leader had opted for violence to seize territory.
“He has decided to formalise his widespread attack against the Republic,” Muyaya said, adding, “The choice to take up arms means killing Congolese in order to try to conquer territories… They want to launch a movement to give themselves a new face, but in reality the intentions, the macabre plans, the modus operandi are known.”
The accusations follow Kabila’s formal alliance with M23 to head a newly formed “politico-military” coalition named the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN). According to the outfit, member groups will pool resources to “put an end to tyranny by any means, including force.”
Under the new arrangement, Kabila is set to head the movement, with M23 leaders serving as his deputies.
Kabila, who governed the DRC from 2001 to 2019, was previously sentenced to death in absentia a year ago on charges of “complicity” with the M23. Kinshasa authorities have repeatedly accused the 55-year-old former president of masterminding the Congo River Alliance (AFC), the now-dissolved political wing of the rebel group—allegations which Kabila has consistently denied.
After spending several years abroad, Kabila resurfaced in May 2025 in Goma, a major eastern city currently held by the M23, and has since made recurrent trips into rebel-controlled territories.
Kabila’s aggressive return to frontline politics comes amid heightened domestic friction. In June and September, opposition rallies erupted to protest a proposed constitutional amendment that could potentially clear the path for a third term for incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi, 63. Tshisekedi, who took over from Kabila, is constitutionally mandated to end his second and final five-year term in 2028.
While the main opposition coalition has distanced itself from Kabila, the former president has openly aligned with the anti-government stance. In an online video address released Friday, Kabila slammed the current administration, accusing it of being “motivated solely by its own perpetuation in power.”
