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Former president Joseph Kabila joins political-military coalition challenging Tshisekedi

Al Jazeera reports that Kabila has joined a new coalition announced in Goma that replaces the AFC-M23 alliance, while residents fear peace will recede further.

Updated Oct 18, 2026 · 06:10 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Al Jazeera reports that former President Joseph Kabila has joined the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation, a coalition announced in Goma.[Al Jazeera]
  • The coalition brings together figures and forces linked to the AFC and M23, accuses President Félix Tshisekedi of tyranny and calls for resistance by all means, including force.[Al Jazeera]
  • The FRN says it will honour Doha negotiation commitments, but how that pledge translates into a ceasefire remains unclear.[Al Jazeera]
  • Residents in Goma fear the realignment will push peace further out of reach, and Kabila's relatives call his death sentence in absentia unjust.[Al Jazeera]

Key facts

  • Former President Joseph Kabila joined the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation, which was announced in Goma on Monday evening.[Al Jazeera]
  • The FRN replaces the existing AFC-M23 alliance and brings together figures and forces associated with both movements.[Al Jazeera]
  • The FRN accuses President Félix Tshisekedi of tyranny and calls for resistance by all means, including force.[Al Jazeera]
  • Goma, the main city in North Kivu province, has been under M23-AFC control since January of last year.[Al Jazeera]
  • A Congolese military court sentenced Kabila to death in absentia last year on charges including treason and war crimes linked to the M23 rebellion.[Al Jazeera]
  • Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya described Kabila as a man of the past and said he had nothing to offer but chaos.[Al Jazeera]

What remains uncertain

  • It is unclear whether the FRN's pledge to honour Doha commitments will translate into progress toward a ceasefire or lasting settlement.[Al Jazeera]
  • Kabila's relatives call his conviction unjust and politically motivated, a dispute the reporting does not resolve.[Al Jazeera]
  • Activist Josue Akuzwe Walayi fears the Doha and Washington peace initiatives may become agreements without real peace; this is his assessment, not an established outcome.[Al Jazeera]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.