Kabila’s announced return sparks political tensions amidst DRC’s deepening crisis

Former Congolese president Joseph Kabila’s unexpected return to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has ignited a political firestorm in a nation already engulfed by escalating conflict and growing insecurity in its eastern region.
Announcing his return after six years of silence and exile, Kabila, once ousted amid mass protests, says he aims to help broker a lasting solution to the escalating violence in the country’s volatile east. But president Félix Tshisekedi isn’t convinced. He has accused Kabila of supporting the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which has seized control of key cities including Goma and Bukavu. Kabila, who denied the allegations, has criticized Tshisekedi’s leadership, warning that the DRC is on the brink of implosion.
The M23, now part of the broader Congo River Alliance (AFC) led by former electoral chief Corneille Nangaa, has gained significant ground in recent months. With disillusioned soldiers and politicians joining their ranks, the rebels claim to defend marginalized Congolese Tutsis and fight endemic corruption. Kabila’s reappearance coincides with the collapse of peace talks and growing skepticism over Kinshasa’s reliance on foreign mercenaries and outside forces. He insists that Congolese problems demand Congolese solutions, urging national unity over foreign intervention.
As the DRC is bracing for a political storm, some see Kabila’s return as a chance for renewed dialogue, while others fear it signals a looming power struggle. With Kinshasa suspecting Kabila of fueling the insurrection, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Suspected by Tshisekedi of backing the AFC, of which M23 is a member, and of fueling the insurrection, Kabila is by some seen as the potential missing piece needed to broker peace between Kinshasa and the rebels. As regional powers watch closely and a crucial U.S.-backed mineral-for-security deal hangs in the balance, the DRC teeters between the hope of reconciliation and the threat of renewed chaos.