Kabila’s Alliance with M23 Raises Concerns Over Escalating Conflict in Eastern DRC

The Voice of the Cape
13 Oct 2026

Senior Research Fellow at SAIIA and Director of Okapi Consulting, Stephanie Wolters, examines former Democratic Republic of the Congo president Joseph Kabila’s alliance with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group and what it could mean for the escalating conflict in eastern DRC in this interview with The Voice of the Cape.

Wolters says Kabila’s association with M23 initially looked like political suicide, but that dynamic has changed somewhat because there is also considerable dissatisfaction with President Félix Tshisekedi.

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The views expressed are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).