Goma, Oct 13. (dpa/GNA) – Former Congolese president, Joseph Kabila, has formed a political and military alliance aimed at challenging the government in Kinshasa.
The new alliance, called the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), aims to put an end to “tyranny” in the country “by all means, including armed force,” an FRN spokesman said late Monday.
The alliance brings together several rebel groups, including the M23 militia, which controls large parts of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The government of President Félix Tshisekedi has yet to respond to the announcement, which political analysts see as a direct confrontation between Kabila and Tshisekedi.
Kabila, 55, ruled the mineral-rich country from 2001 to 2019. Last year, he was sentenced to death in absentia by the country’s highest military court on charges of treason, war crimes and plotting to overthrow the government.
The former president denies the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
After years in exile, Kabila returned several months ago to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which is currently under M23 control.
The M23 rebel group has been active in eastern Congo for years, and receives support from neighbouring Rwanda, according to a report by United Nations experts.
The territories seized by the militia are rich in valuable minerals, including coltan, gold, nickel, cobalt and copper, which are used in products ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles.
GNA