In Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, violent clashes occurred during a protest against a proposed constitutional amendment. According to opponents, this change could allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term.
The protest, led by the opposition coalition C64, was dispersed with tear gas by the police. Demonstrators clashed with pro-government supporters outside the Parliament.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing various crises, including an Ebola outbreak and a long-standing conflict with the M23 rebels, who have backing from Rwanda. These rebels are among over 100 armed groups vying for control in the eastern provinces.
Tshisekedi, 62, has been in office since 2019 and is set to finish his second five-year term in 2028. He has indicated he is open to pursuing a third term if the public approves it in a referendum. The Congolese Constitution currently prohibits changes to presidential term limits. However, a bill in the National Assembly would allow constitutional amendments if a ‘major dysfunction’ cripples state institutions, potentially through a referendum.
The country’s main opposition parties, divided in recent years, united in May under the name C64, or Coalition Article 64, to oppose what they describe as Tshisekedi’s attempt to stay in power. The coalition calls the proposed changes a ‘serious threat’ to national stability.
Friday’s protest led to clashes between opposition supporters and pro-government activists until police intervened. Among the injured was Martin Fayulu, who came second in the 2018 presidential elections and is a leading opposition figure in the DRC. A video on his official Facebook page showed Fayulu with blood around his eyes and on his shirt as supporters helped him through the crowd.
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