Africa-Press – Ethiopia. Former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Joseph Kabila, has arrived in the city of Goma just a few days after announcing that he would be returning home via the eastern part of the country.
Reports indicate that Kabila, who had been residing in South Africa, arrived in Goma on Friday afternoon.
According to members of the AFC/M23, he entered the country via Rwanda.
Since leaving office, Kabila has spent most of his time in South Africa, though he has also lived in Zimbabwe.
Reports of Kabila’s return to the DRC began circulating earlier this month, with sources revealing that preparations to welcome him had been underway for several days.
He had pledged to return soon, citing the country’s serious security issues and challenges in all other sectors of national life, stating that he wanted to help find solutions.
The country has been facing a crisis due to the ongoing conflict between the government and the AFC/M23 rebels, who have recently taken control of large swathes of eastern DRC.
The rebels accuse President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration of poor governance and the targeted persecution of minority groups, particularly Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese.
Kabila remains a powerful figure in Congolese politics and retains a strong base of supporters.
Olivier Kamitatu, a former minister and current spokesperson for Congolese businessman and politician Moïse Katumbi, recently posted on X, saying, “Joseph Kabila’s decision to go to the East, a region controlled by rebels, is not just symbolic: it’s a reminder of our shared future.”
Congo’s decades-long conflict escalated in January, when the rebels advanced and seized Goma, followed by the town of Bukavu in February.
The fighting has killed some 3,000 people and worsened what was already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with around 7 million people displaced, report indicates.
Kabila seeks “to take part in efforts to find peace in the country,” his aide said. “Everyone is talking about Congo without the Congolese… this is not normal.”
The former president is expected to address Goma residents at some point, according to his associate, who accompanied Kabila on the trip.
It was not immediately clear how long Kabila would remain in Goma or what his plans were.
Kabila’s long-expected return is seen as controversial, with some analysts saying his presence in Goma could worsen tensions between the rebels and the Congolese government, especially amid ongoing efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi last year accused Kabila of backing the rebels and “preparing an insurrection” with them, a claim Kabila denies.
Representatives of Congo’s government and M23 met in Qatar earlier this month as the Gulf Arab state leads renewed efforts to get both parties to return to dialogue and recommit themselves to a peace deal, they each accuse the other of violating.
Kabila led Congo from 2011 to 2019, taking office at the age of 29 and extending his mandate by delaying elections for two years after his term ended in 2017.
His father, former President Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in 2001.
After leaving Congo, Kabila lived in South Africa and other African countries.
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