By Odwa Bafana Mkentane
Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila has joined forces with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group to lead a new political and military coalition, escalating the conflict in the country’s volatile east. The alliance, known as the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, aims to challenge what it describes as tyranny, with the use of force not ruled out. Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, was sentenced to death in absentia last year for alleged complicity with M23, an accusation he denies.
Speaking to VOC News, Stephanie Wolters, senior research fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), says Kabila’s association with M23 initially looked like political suicide, but that dynamic has changed somewhat because there is also considerable dissatisfaction with President Félix Tshisekedi.
“This dissatisfaction is becoming intertwined with some of M23’s political aspirations, making the situation extremely dangerous. Rwanda did not need to escalate the situation by becoming militarily involved in the eastern DRC to gain access to these resources. They are important to Rwanda’s economy, but they are also important to the war effort, which is now in its fifth year. Rwanda has invested considerable resources in the conflict.
“There have been many rebellions of this kind backed by Rwanda. However, this is the first time that a rebellion has continued for so long since the end of the war that began in 1998 and ended in 2002. It is also the first time we have seen a new rebellion lasting five years and maintaining this level of territorial control,” said Wolters.
Wolters added that the United States has directly sanctioned the Rwandan army, which inevitably has a significant impact on its ability to operate, including its access to weapons and other military supplies.
“It is also the first time the international community has taken such a strong stance against President Paul Kagame. Kagame has already paid a high international price, which only raises the stakes. Now that Rwanda is so deeply involved, the question is how far Kagame is really willing to go. That has always been an important consideration,” said Wolters.
Photo: MONUSCO
