DR Congo's Tshisekedi accuses ex-leader Kabila of being a Rwanda 'proxy'

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi has accused his predecessor Joseph Kabila of acting as a proxy for Rwandan President Paul Kagame after joining forces with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement in the country’s conflict-hit east.

Kabila this month took a direct role in the insurgency through the newly formed Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), which has vowed to end what it describes as tyranny, including through the use of force.

In a speech broadcast on X by the Congolese presidency on Tuesday, Tshisekedi described Kabila as a “big coward” and accused Kagame of bringing his former political rival into the conflict as the rebellion faces growing pressure.

“With Rwandan help, the M23 movement has seized swathes of eastern DR Congo, a mineral-rich region that has been at the center of a conflict spanning three decades,” Tshisekedi told lawmakers from his ruling coalition.

The fighting has continued despite a US-brokered truce in December. In early 2025, an offensive by M23 and the Rwandan army led to the capture of Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, respectively.

Kabila, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2019, was sentenced to death in absentia last year on treason charges linked to alleged collaboration with M23. He has denied the accusations. The United States has also imposed sanctions on him over support for the Rwanda-backed group.

The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation is expected to be led by Kabila, with M23 leaders serving as deputies, raising further questions about the relationship between the former president and the rebellion.

Kabila returned to the eastern city of Goma in May 2025 after several years outside the country. The city was already under M23 control, and he has since made regular visits to rebel-held territory.

The developments come as Tshisekedi faces domestic opposition over allegations that he wants to amend the constitution to seek a third term. His second five-year mandate ends in 2028, and the constitution currently bars him from seeking another term.

Tshisekedi has denied that he intends to cling to power, saying his priority is to end what he calls aggression against the country. He has argued that constitutional reform should not be interpreted as an attempt to extend his presidency.

The main opposition coalition on Tuesday condemned “any seizure of power by force” in an apparent rebuke of Kabila’s movement. It also called for talks with both Tshisekedi and Kabila to find a Congolese solution to the crisis, despite divisions among opposition groups over the proposed national dialogue.

United Nations experts have reported that Rwanda maintains thousands of troops in eastern DR Congo and exercises de facto control over M23. Rwanda has repeatedly denied providing military support to the group.

Kigali says its security concerns stem from a Congolese militia founded by ethnic Hutus involved in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. The continued fighting, meanwhile, has deepened instability in eastern DR Congo, where civilians face displacement and worsening humanitarian conditions.