The National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO) has issued a stern warning against proposed amendments to the February 18, 2006 constitution. The Church warns that tampering with locked articles could plunge the country into « enormous risks, including balkanization ».

In a strongly worded statement, the Catholic Church has taken a firm stance against efforts to modify the constitution. Donatien Nshole, then spokesperson for CENCO, condemned what he described as a maneuver aimed at « offering another term to the current president ».

According to the Church, this initiative undermines « a hard-won political compromise after the crises the country has endured since independence ». The episcopate specifically targets the referendum law, which it argues was passed under the pretext of filling a legal void.

Nshole emphasized that this law would pave the way for a popular consultation that could lead to « violating the constitutional order by touching on intangible matters already locked by Article 220 ». The Church spokesperson stressed that this article, which safeguards presidential term limits and their duration, « serves as a true bulwark against dictatorship and state capture ».

The CENCO warning also highlights the potential consequences: « Any forced passage in this direction entails enormous risks, including the country’s balkanization », Nshole declared. He further cautioned against the « triggering of another civil war » in a context where « political rivalries take on ethnic and tribal connotations ».

After what it calls « deep discernment », CENCO states it sees « neither the necessity, urgency, nor opportunity for constitutional change ».

For the Catholic Church, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s priorities remain « peace, the social well-being of the Congolese people, unity, and national cohesion ».