Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila made a surprise return to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, stepping into the heart of rebel-controlled Goma in a dramatic bid — or perhaps challenge — to influence peace efforts in the country’s volatile east.
Kabila, 53, who has spent the past two years in South Africa, met with religious leaders in M23-held territory amid growing accusations from Kinshasa that he is coordinating with Rwanda to destabilize the government.
Though dressed like a statesman — in a grey jacket and blue shirt — Kabila remained silent to the press, leaving many to question his true intentions.
“We were invited to discuss peace,” said Joel Amurani, president of the Interfaith Synergy for Peace and Mediation. But behind the symbolic call for unity lies deep suspicion.
Kabila is wanted by Congolese authorities for alleged crimes against humanity linked to eastern insurgencies. His political party has been suspended, and state efforts are underway to seize assets connected to his circle.
Despite these charges, he is now hosting religious and political figures in Kinyogote, a strategic area just outside Goma, in what his aides describe as “consultative security sessions.”
President Felix Tshisekedi’s administration sees it differently. Officials have accused Kabila of attempting to posture himself as a parallel leader — even a de facto rebel chief — alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame, with whom relations are already strained.
The timing of Kabila’s return could disrupt U.S.-led peace efforts in the region. Trump adviser Massad Boulos recently indicated that a Congo-Rwanda agreement, which would include lucrative mineral deals, is in the works and could be signed this summer.
Kabila’s reappearance adds a combustible element to those plans.
The M23 rebel group, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda despite Kigali’s denials, has seized more territory in eastern Congo this year than ever before.
The UN and several Western governments blame Rwanda for arming and reinforcing the group — charges Kagame’s government has consistently rejected.
Whether Kabila is positioning himself as a national mediator or seeking political resurrection, his presence in rebel territory sends shockwaves through an already tense region.
