Joseph Kabila visits the eastern Goma, which has been seized by the rebels after being stripped of his immunity.
Former President Joseph Kabila has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Reuters and AFP news agency.
Kabila was on a trip to the eastern part of Goma on Thursday, which was seized by Rwandan-backed M23 militias and earlier this year by several other regions in the eastern region, which are rich in the country.
A team of AFP journalists saw Kabila meet local religious figures in the presence of M23 spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka.
Citing three unidentified sources close to Kabila, Reuters also said the former president had consulted with locals in Goma.
The visit occurs despite the former president facing the possibility of treason over his alleged support for the M23.
Earlier this month, the DRC Senate voted to lift Kabila’s immunity, paving the way for him to be charged.
The former president, who has been in exile since 2023, denied the allegations and denounced the charges against him as “a prudent arbitrary decision on revitalization.”
On Thursday, members of Kabila’s aide told AFP that there was no formal alliance between his party and the M23, but both shared the “same goal” of ending President Felix Zisekedi’s rules.
The UN and DRC governments say Rwanda supported the M23 in arms and military.
The new violence sparked fears of igniting a full-scale conflict, similar to the wars that the DRC had endured in the late 1990s and involved several African countries that killed millions.
According to the United Nations, the current fighting has already driven out about 700,000 people this year.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International accused M23 of committing abuse of civilians in areas under its control, “including torture, murder and committed loss of failure.”
“These actions violate international humanitarian law and can be war crimes,” the group said in a statement.
M23 says the goal is to protect minorities from the Kinshasa government.
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