Kabila joins M23 rebels
STAFF WRITER
Former Congolese president Joseph Kabila is now officially the face of resistance in the eastern DRC, as the M23 rebels and their political wing, the Congo River Alliance (AFC), fall under his newly formed Front pour la refondation de la Nation, or Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN).
They call it “political judo” in the Congo.
The M23 commanders effectively become vice presidents, notably Corneille Nangaa (leader of the Congo River Alliance), Bertrand Bisimwa (M23 President), and Sultani Makenga (M23’s military commander).
Interestingly, the coalition was formed a week after an African Union delegation comprising Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde and Botswana’s Mokgweetsi Masisi met leaders of the AFC/M23 in Goma.
Kabila, sentenced to death in absentia by Kinshasa, officially stays in Goma under the protection of the M23.
Although he has homes in Nairobi and Harare and spent time in Johannesburg, where he undertook post grad studies.
The clear goal is that Kabila wants to come back into power. The idea is to stop Kinshasa’s “tyranny”, particularly as Felix Tshisekedi is trying to avoid elections in 2028 through the same way Emmerson Mnangagwa did in Zimbabwe – constitutional amendment.
It will be interesting to see how Kabila will navigate this new role. Early this year, the United States placed him under targeted sanctions for actively working with the M23, which he now does openly.
But what is happening now is that the M23 has joined other rebel and political forces to push for a national agenda.
Kabila is expected to open more doors diplomatically for M23.
The movement struggled on this front. He will also be a fundraising recruitment tool.
And it will be hard to accuse this movement of being Rwandan.
For example, Claude Ibalanky, a former advisor to Tshisekedi and envoy on peace, security, and cooperation in eastern Congo, joined the rebel forces.
His new role is now that of spokesperson for Kabila.
From the look of things, the new coalition flies in the face of the US-brokered peace initiatives. It directs us to a severe escalation of conflict.
Kabila and his partners, in their declaration, state that they intend to “put an end to tyranny—by any means necessary, including the use of force.”
I wonder how countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa will respond to Kabila and his rival Tshisekedi. We know Rwanda is with Kabila, and so is Kenya.
But for Tshisekdi, he can choose dialogue or a war. But either way, he is getting his const
itutional amendment for a third term.