DRC: Joseph Kabila takes official lead of rebellion, AFC/M23 dissolved
Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, announced the creation of a politico-military movement, the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, on Monday 12 October. According to sources close to the movement, Kabila presides over it, with Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa, until now coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo and president of the M23 respectively, as vice-presidents, and the new structure's creation is accompanied by the official dissolution of the AFC/M23. The movement states that it aims to pool forces and efforts to end the presidency of Félix Tshisekedi, which it calls a tyranny, and that it will use all means, including force, invoking article 64 of the constitution.
Why it matters: The announcement formalises the alignment of a former head of state with an armed rebellion, placing it within the theme of conflict and political transition in Central Africa.