Front pour la Refondation de la Nation, political-military front announced in Goma on 12 Oct 2026 (declaration after a 10–11 Oct meeting) as the successor of the AFC, which it dissolved on 14 Oct. President: former head of state Joseph Kabila (sentenced to death in absentia for treason in Sep 2025), who had not openly led the rebellion before. Its stated aim is to end Félix Tshisekedi’s rule, including by force (citing Art. 64 of the Constitution). Military wing: the Armée Révolutionnaire Congolaise (ARC, M23’s armed wing; KT Press also calls it the ‘Lions of Sarambwe’). The US Treasury calls it the AFC’s successor; Kinshasa and the Doha mediators face a rebellion with a national figurehead.
Leader(s): Joseph Kabila (president); Corneille Nangaa, Bertrand Bisimwa and Gen. Sultani Makenga (vice-presidents; Makenga heads the military wing); Freddy Kaniki (secretary-general); spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka
Origin: DR Congo
Area of operation: North Kivu, South Kivu
Recent (to 3 Nov 2026)
- Sources: Jeune Afrique https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1851360/politique/rdc-joseph-kabila-prend-officiellement-la-tete-de-la-rebellion-lafc-m23-dissoute/ ; IGIHE https://en.igihe.com/politics-48/article/kabila-nangaa-and-makenga-launch-new-political-military-front-in-goma ; US Treasury (28 Oct 2026) https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0668 ; Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_for_the_Refoundation_of_the_Nation
- Within two weeks of its launch the FRN was fighting FARDC and Wazalendo in Walikale and Rutshuru (Walikale and Rutshuru fighting (Oct 2026)) and, per SOFREP and Rwandan media, on the Walungu and Fizi highlands with the aim of retaking Uvira; on 27 Oct a Rwandan site said FRN fighters were nearing Runingu, close to Uvira, which South Kivu governor Jean-Jacques Purusi called a ‘media war to spread panic’. Unverified.
- Claims, via KT Press (Kigali), that two FARDC generals and 635 soldiers defected to it on 28–30 Oct; unconfirmed (see FARDC).
Relationships
- Armed wing: M23
- Successor of: AFC
- Backed by: Rwanda (RDF)
- Allied with: Twirwaneho
- Fights: FARDC
- Fights: Wazalendo
- Fights: Burundi (FDNB)
- Party (as AFC) to: Doha Process (DRC-AFC-M23)
Referenced by
- AFC (Succeeded by)
- Burundi (FDNB) (Fights)
- FARDC (Fights)
- FRN launch (Oct 2026) (Created)
- M23 (Armed wing of)
- Rwanda (RDF) (Backs)
- Twirwaneho (Allied with)
- Walikale and Rutshuru fighting (Oct 2026) (Defender)
- Wazalendo (Fights)
Media
Eastern DRC, late Oct 2026 (self-made map; control shown as points named in reporting, not areas). See 01 Situation Report.