Kabila’s alliance with M23 rebels upends DR Congo fragile peace deals

Joseph Kabila ran the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for 18 years, during which he considered rebels in the east of the country as enemy number one.

This week, he took the mantle of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), formalising his alliance with AFC/M23, the biggest rebel group in the east. That means he has also embraced a confrontation with Félix Tshisekedi, his successor in Kinshasa in 2019.