Tshisekedi convenes top military officials after FRN formation

The meeting of the High Council of Defence was held at the presidential offices in Kinshasa on October 14, 2026. It brought together the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of Interior Security, and senior military and security officials.

FARDC Chief of Staff Lt Gen Jules Banza Mwilambwe briefed the meeting on military operations across the country, with particular attention to eastern DRC, where fighting continues.

Following the briefing, Tshisekedi, who is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and police, instructed security agencies to step up efforts to defend the country’s sovereignty and protect civilians and their property.

FARDC spokesperson Maj Gen Sylvain Ekenge Bomusa said the directives were intended to reinforce the security forces’ efforts to fulfil their mandate.

“The Commander-in-Chief gave the armed forces and security agencies clear and firm instructions to ensure they effectively fulfil their responsibilities of defending national sovereignty and protecting civilians and their property,” Ekenge said.

He added that the priority was to translate the directives into tangible results on the battlefield, particularly in eastern DRC, where civilians continue to face the consequences of insecurity.

The meeting came two days after Kabila was announced as the leader of the Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), a new political and military movement established in Goma on October 12, 2026, to replace the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which had been active for nearly three years.

FRN includes several prominent figures who previously held senior positions within the AFC/M23 coalition, including Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa. Maj Gen Sultani Makenga continues to lead its military wing.

The coalition, which accuses Tshisekedi’s government of poor governance and marginalisation of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities, controls large swathes of territory in eastern DRC, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu, respectively.