Following a bold statement from Congolese opposition leader Martin Fayulu urging former President Joseph Kabila to publicly distance himself from the M23 movement group and re-engage in the national political process, Kabila has refused to comply, signaling deepening divisions among DRC’s political elite.
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Joseph Kabila, who led the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2001 to 2019, held a rare public engagement on June 2, 2025, when he met with youth representatives and envoys of opposition figure Franck Diongo. The meeting took place at Kabila’s private residence in Kinyogote, near the city of Goma in North Kivu province a region long plagued by insecurity.
According to ‘Reconstruire RDC’, a platform founded by Kabila, the delegation included members of the MRC (Mouvement pour le Renouveau du Congo), a political group advocating for national transformation. The envoys came from several countries in the Congolese diaspora, including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland. They expressed a desire to contribute to the rebuilding of a nation battered by political instability, economic stagnation, and armed conflict.
During the meeting, Kabila also welcomed local youth groups from Goma, encouraging them to play a constructive role in national reconciliation. He urged them to work toward peace grounded in unity, truth, and cooperation, and to resist being manipulated by destabilizing forces.
Back on May 23, 2025, Kabila delivered a public address to the Congolese people, outlining 12 key principles he believes could restore peace and foster sustainable development in the DRC. These included ending the ongoing wars, expelling all foreign military forces from Congolese territory, dismantling all armed rebel groups, fostering national reconciliation, and initiating regional cooperation with neighboring countries.
His refusal to directly respond to Fayulu’s call or to renounce alleged ties to M23 adds to growing political tensions as the DRC heads into a critical phase of its post-conflict recovery.
