Kabila Renews 12-Point Reform Call Amid Rift With Tshisekedi and M23 Allegations

Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila has renewed a 12-point programme calling for political reforms, an end to armed conflict and the restoration of state authority across the country.

The proposals urge the authorities in Kinshasa to end what Kabila describes as authoritarian rule, restore democracy and fundamental freedoms, and promote reconciliation among Congolese.

He also calls for improved economic and public-finance management, a fairer distribution of national resources and sustained dialogue with neighbouring countries.

On security, Kabila says the government should halt the fighting, restore state control throughout the country and dismantle armed groups operating on Congolese territory.

His proposals also call for foreign fighters to return to their countries, an end to the use of military mercenaries and the withdrawal of foreign troops from the DRC.

The programme was first presented as a “shock therapy” plan in May 2025. In an address on October 9, Kabila said his earlier proposals had been ignored and announced that he would share further ideas for addressing the country’s crisis. 

Kabila’s criticism comes amid a deepening rift with President Félix Tshisekedi. The two leaders initially shared power after Tshisekedi took office in 2019, but their post-election alliance broke down as Tshisekedi moved to form a new parliamentary majority.

Tshisekedi has since accused Kabila of supporting the M23-led rebellion in eastern Congo, an allegation Kabila denies. 

M23 was formed in 2012, while Kabila was president. The group emerged from a mutiny by former members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), who said the Congolese government had failed to implement a 2009 peace agreement.

Kabila’s government later took part in negotiations to end the rebellion. 

The allegations against Kabila escalated in 2025 after he appeared in Goma, then under M23 control.

In May that year, the Senate voted to lift the immunity he had enjoyed as a senator for life, clearing the way for prosecution. The vote lifted his immunity; it did not remove his title. 

In September 2025, a Congolese military court sentenced Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him of treason and other offences linked to the conflict.

He has rejected the proceedings as politically motivated. The United States also sanctioned him in 2026 over alleged support for M23; Kabila denounced the sanctions as unjustified and politically motivated.