Joseph Kabila, the former president of DR Congo who now carries a death sentence, has returned to the front of the country's conflict. On Monday, he announced a new political-military alliance with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, a movement he will head himself, despite his conviction over alleged links to the same armed group.

Announcement in Goma

The alliance was presented at a joint press conference held at Kabila's residence in Goma, the major city in eastern DR Congo that M23 has controlled since January 2025. The armed group holds swathes of the country's east, territory where the new movement will now operate under Kabila's leadership.

From President to Death Sentence

Kabila, aged 55, ruled DR Congo from 2001 to 2019 before handing power to his successor. The path from the presidency to an armed alliance ran through the courts:

• •A year ago, Kabila was condemned to death in absentia for "complicity" with the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group.
• •Congolese authorities accuse him of being one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), the political wing of M23, which has since been dissolved.

Political Timing in Kinshasa

The announcement lands in a charged political moment. President Felix Tshisekedi, 63, Kabila's successor, will reach the end of his second and final five-year term in 2028. The Congolese Constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms, yet for several months the presidential majority has been preparing public opinion on amending it.

Failed Peace Efforts

The alliance takes shape as attempts to end the eastern DR Congo conflict stall. The region has been plagued by violence for more than 30 years, and several mediation attempts have failed. Recent diplomatic tracks have brought no relief:

• •A deal signed in December by Kinshasa and Kigali, under the auspices of Washington, has had no tangible effect on the ground.
• •In July 2025, Kinshasa and M23 committed, as part of a Qatari-mediated process, to a ceasefire that is not being respected.

The new movement led by Kabila now stands alongside a ceasefire that is going unrespected and a Kinshasa-Kigali deal still without tangible effect.