Hopes for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have suffered another setback after former President Joseph Kabila joined a new political-military coalition challenging President Felix Tshisekedi.
asserted
Kabila → suffer → Tshisekedi
Announced in Goma on Monday evening, the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), or Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, is led by Kabila and replaces the existing alliance between the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the March 23 Movement (M23).
asserted
Front → announce → Congo
The new coalition brings together figures and forces associated with the two movements, accuses Tshisekedi of tyranny and calls for resistance by all means, including force.
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coalition → bring → force
Kabila’s move brings a former head of state directly into the leadership of the rebellion.
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move → bring → rebellion
The conflict has displaced millions and drawn in neighbouring countries.
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conflict → displace → countries
Its roots stretch back decades, shaped by regional rivalries, unresolved security concerns and competition for territory and mineral resources.
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roots → stretch → territory
The aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide helped fuel wars across the region, while tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali continue to shape the fighting.
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tensions → fuel → fighting
M23 says it took up arms because the Congolese government failed to honour earlier commitments.
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government → say → commitments
The Congolese government and international actors have accused Rwanda of supporting the group, an allegation Kigali denies, citing security threats from armed groups operating in eastern Congo.
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Kigali → accuse → Congo
Whether Kabila’s leadership will reshape the rebellion or further complicate efforts to end the war remains unclear.
uncertain
reshape → reshape → war
In Goma, residents fear the latest realignment will push peace further out of reach.
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realignment → fear → reach
Why do residents fear the war is far from over?
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war → fear → ?
For Basa Juhudi, Kabila’s decision has revived fears that the conflict will drag on.
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conflict → revive → fears
“As a resident of Goma, I believed the war might end in the very near future, hoping that the Congolese government would liberate us.
uncertain
government → believe → us
And we are greatly surprised that even our former president has joined the fray,” he told Al Jazeera.
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he → join → Jazeera
Juhudi said Kabila’s political experience makes his involvement particularly troubling.
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involvement → say → ?
“The fact that Joseph Kabila has joined the rebellion, bearing in mind that he is our former president and knows this country inside out, means the war is far from over.
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war → join → country
He also fears for the country’s democratic future, recalling the peaceful transfer of power in 2019, when Tshisekedi succeeded Kabila.
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Tshisekedi → fear → Kabila
I don’t know if I will be lucky enough to experience a proper democracy in the DRC.
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I → know → DRC
I was delighted by the country’s very first peaceful transfer of power,” Juhudi said.
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Juhudi → delight → power
How does Kabila’s past shape his return to the conflict?
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past → shape → conflict
Kabila came to power in 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila.
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Kabila → come → father
He was elected president in 2006 and re-elected in 2011.
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He → elect → 2011
His second constitutional term was due to end in 2016, but elections were delayed.
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elections → end → 2016
Critics accused him of seeking to remain in power beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms.
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Critics → accuse → terms
Protests against the delays were met with deadly violence before a political compromise paved the way for elections in December 2018.
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compromise → meet → December
Tshisekedi was declared the winner and took office in January 2019, marking the DRC’s first peaceful transfer of presidential power through elections.
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Tshisekedi → declare → elections
Kabila defended the election delays, arguing that the Congolese people had ultimately resolved their problems through dialogue.
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people → defend → dialogue
His alignment with the FRN marks a new phase in his confrontation with Tshisekedi.
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alignment → mark → Tshisekedi
The coalition presents itself as a political alternative to the government while maintaining an armed challenge to its authority.
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coalition → present → authority
Whether Kabila can translate his political experience and networks into wider support remains uncertain.
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translate → translate → support
Can dialogue still avert a wider confrontation?
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dialogue → avert → confrontation
Kabila’s move has drawn criticism from within the Congolese political establishment.
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move → draw → establishment
Vital Kamerhe, a former speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC), urged the movement to abandon armed struggle.
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Kamerhe → urge → struggle
“You cannot erase your own record by accusing your successor,” Kamerhe declared in a speech on Wednesday.
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Kamerhe → erase → Wednesday
“I call on the leaders of this movement to abandon their plans and prioritise the path of dialogue.
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I → call → dialogue
Whatever our frustrations, our differences or our ambitions, nothing, absolutely nothing, can justify us taking up weapons against our own country, at the risk of sacrificing our own Congolese lives,” he said.
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he → justify → lives
His appeal highlights the central challenge facing peace efforts: political grievances remain unresolved, while renewed fighting threatens a population already battered by conflict.
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fighting → highlight → conflict
What does Kabila’s move mean for peace initiatives?
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move → mean → initiatives
The United States and Qatar have pursued separate diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the conflict.
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States → pursue → conflict
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
