Kabila, Katumbi na Gen. Numbi reportedly in talks to join AFC/M23 coalition

Senior political figures and high-ranking military officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reportedly been holding talks with the leadership of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), an umbrella coalition that includes the M23 rebel group, with the possibility of joining its ranks.

This was revealed by United Nations experts on Congo in a report released in May this year, before its submission to the UN Security Council. The report is based on investigations conducted up to April 2025.

According to the experts, former DRC President Joseph Kabila Kabange, influential opposition politician Moïse Katumbi Chapwe, and General John Numbi, who previously served as the country’s Chief of Police and Inspector General of the Armed Forces, have been in regular contact with Corneille Nangaa, the AFC coordinator.

The report states:

“The AFC/M23’s strategy to unite armed groups and political actors has been effective. In North and South Kivu provinces, many militias, including former Wazalendo groups, have joined M23 following its continued military gains.”

It adds:

“Although prominent political and military figures such as Joseph Kabila, Moïse Katumbi, and John Numbi have not officially joined AFC/M23, they have maintained regular communications with Nangaa.”

The UN experts further noted that these discussions, aimed at integrating these influential figures into the AFC/M23 coalition, were held in Kampala, Uganda, and Kigali, Rwanda.

Reports indicate that Joseph Kabila has spent over a month in Goma, a city currently under AFC/M23 control, and has met with its leadership on multiple occasions. His senior advisor, Kikaya Bin Kalubi, recently confirmed that Kabila and the M23 share a common objective to end what they described as the repressive rule of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi.

On the other hand, Moïse Katumbi has repeatedly accused President Tshisekedi’s administration of silencing dissent, oppressing journalists and opposition members, and unlawfully detaining people under the pretext of fighting M23. He reiterated these accusations while commenting on the recent peace agreement signed between Rwanda and the DRC.

The report underscores growing political and military realignments in eastern Congo, which experts warn could reshape the country’s power structure and intensify existing conflicts in the coming months.