Kabila, who left Congo in 2023, came to Goma “to participate in peace efforts” in the conflict-hit east where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized large swaths of territory
Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, accused by the government of supporting rebels in the country’s east, returned to Congo from self-imposed exile on Friday, arriving in the rebel-held eastern city of Goma, two of the ex-president’s associates and a rebel official said.
Kabila, who left Congo in 2023, came to Goma “to participate in peace efforts” in the conflict-hit east where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized large swaths of territory, including the strategic eastern city, said a close aide of the former president.
Another associate of Kabila’s and a senior M23 official also confirmed the former president’s return. The three spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the topic.
Congo’s decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the rebels advanced and seized Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu, which they took in February. The fighting has killed some 3,000 people and worsened what was already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with around 7 million people displaced.
Kabila seeks “to take part in efforts to find peace in the country,” his aide said. “Everyone is talking about Congo without the Congolese … this is not normal.”
It was not immediately clear how long Kabila would remain in Goma or what his plans were. Kabila’s long-expected return is seen as controversial, with some analysts saying his presence in Goma could worsen tensions between the rebels and the Congolese government, especially amid ongoing efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.
Representatives of Congo’s government and M23 rebels met in Qatar earlier this month as the Gulf Arab state leads renewed efforts to get both parties to return to dialogue and recommit themselves to a peace deal they each accuse the other of violating.
Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, said it was likely to have a “detonating effect on Congolese politics,” and strengthen the accusations by “those who believe that there is a connection between him and the M23 rebellion.”
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi last year accused Kabila of backing the rebels and “preparing an insurrection” with them, a claim Kabila denies. Kabila led Congo from 2011 to 2019, taking office at the age of 29 and extending his mandate by delaying elections for two years after his term was ended in 2017. His father, former President Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in 2001. After leaving Congo, Kabila lived in South Africa and other African countries.
Kabila returned against a backdrop of enmity and mistrust between him and his successor. Searches are currently being carried out at some of the Kabila family’s properties, notably in the commune of Limete, in Kinshasa. This has angered the family of the former head of state.
His wife, Marie Olive Lembe, complained about the “looting and theft” of the family’s property. “Generators, solar panels, batteries and vehicles were taken away by the DEMIAP (intelligence service). On what basis are they seizing our property? It’s theft. Who filed the complaint? Where is the judicial decision? They’ve come to investigate weapons, where are they?” she asked.
Another search has been announced at another of Kabila’s property in Kingakati east of Kinshasa, where the former president has investments, including an animal park. He usually stays on this property when he is in Kinshasa.
Kabila had formed an alliance with President Tshisekedi in 2019 but the coalition fell apart, giving rise to old quarrels. Tshisekedi succeeded in establishing himself politically with the support of a number of PPRD and FCC veterans, two of Kabila’s political platforms.
For his return to active politics in the DRC, Kabila appointed a new vice-president to his party, the former speaker of the National Assembly Aubin Minaku. Between February and March this year, several PPRD executives, including Minaku, were questioned several times by intelligence officers.
“Kabila met with representatives from Rwanda, Uganda and regional countries. He is trying to position himself as a credible alternative to President Felix Tshisekedi who is not currently enjoying good relations with DRC’s neighbours,” said Fred Bauma, of the Ebuteli research institute.
“However, he will really have to convince them of his good will and capacity to be part of the solution. But that’s far from being a done deal.”
Kabila has also reached out to Congolese opposition politicians exiled in Europe, holding meetings with opposition leaders Moise Katumbi and Claudel Lubaya in Addis Ababa last December.
“He is attempting to restructure the political opposition in DRC and may well be positioning himself to take the lead role with the support of various parties,” said Bob Kabamba, political science lecturer at Liege University in Belgium.
Tshibangu noted that Kabila’s announcement to return comes at a politically sensitive time, as President Tshisekedi appears weakened amid military setbacks.
