Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila on Thursday, May 29, met with representatives of the religious denominations in rebel-controlled eastern DR Congo, just about three days after he returned to Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, ending six years of his self-imposed exile.
In a post on X, announcing the meeting, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka refered to Kabila as “Honorary President.”
The AFC/M23 rebels who control the eastern DR Congo main city of Goma confirmed the return of the former president on Monday, May 26.
“The return home of this great political figure is welcomed,” AFC/M23 political leader Corneille Nangaa said in a post on X on Monday morning. “He made the right choice, rather than remaining in forced exile.”
His return to Goma comes barely two days after he accused President Felix Tshisekedi’s government for populism, lies, arrogance, institutionalisation of tribalism and nepotism, and impunity, among other ills, that destroyed national cohesion as well as rendered the country fragile and vulnerable. Kabila, 53, ruled DR Congo between from 2001 to January 2019, when he was succeeded by the incumbent, Tshisekedi. The two fell out later, with Kabila accusing Tshisekedi of violating an agreement that brought him to power. Tshisekedi has accused Kabila of backing the AFC/M23 rebels.
The Congolese Senate on May 22, voted in favour of a resolution lifting the immunity of Kabila, who is a senator for life, authorizing legal proceedings against him.
The military high court has mounted treason and war crimes charges against Kabila, whose assets have also been seized. His supporters say the criminal charges are part of a “witch hunt.”
Speaking from an undisclosed location, last week, after he was stripped of immunity, Kabila called Tshisekedi a “demagogue,” and accused him of “discrimination and stigmatisation of certain sections of our people, the institutionalisation of tribalism and nepotism.”
The former president, who ended his silence on the conflict in February this year, has previously accused Tshisekedi of mismanaging the crisis in eastern DR Congo and dismissed the latter’s attempts to blame external actors for it.
His return to Goma city could mark a new chapter in the conflict between Tshisekedi and the rebels, who have controlled swathes of territory, including Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, since early 2025.
“In Goma, [Joseph Kabila] is welcome, in the only part of the country where arbitrariness, political persecution, death sentences, tribalism, discrimination, hate speech… do not exist,” said Nangaa, who was the head of the Congolese electoral commission (CENI) during Kabila’s late years as president.
“Since last February, several delegations and personalities from all walks of life have passed through Goma. They were able to see the work done by the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC/M23) to restore the security of people and their property.”
