On Thursday, August 13, amidst escalating tensions with the Coalition Article 64 (C64), a significant opposition platform established in May by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) leading political forces, President Félix Tshisekedi requested Parliament to conduct a fresh deliberation. This request pertains to a contentious bill outlining the framework for a constitutional reform referendum.

The C64 coalition asserts that this legislative initiative, championed by the presidential party since 2024, is strategically designed to enable President Tshisekedi to pursue a third term in office, a move explicitly prohibited by the 2006 Constitution.

In Kinshasa on Wednesday, August 12, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, Secretary-General of Ensemble pour la République—the party led by Moïse Katumbi and a spokesperson for C64—issued a stark warning. He stated that the coalition would no longer entertain advice but would instead instigate widespread mobilizations if the president failed to initiate a national dialogue.

The coalition had set Saturday, August 15, as the deadline to assess any progress in the political dialogue with the president. Concurrently, they urged the populace to prepare for “mobilization and resistance” should the “withdrawal of the proposed referendum law currently under parliamentary review” not be confirmed.

A small step in the right direction

While President Tshisekedi’s concession does not entirely satisfy the opposition coalition, which has resolved to “maintain” its pressure, it nonetheless signifies “a small step in the right direction,” as emphasized by Prince Epenge, a co-founder of Coalition C64.

A planned march in Kinshasa by C64, originally scheduled for July 22, was deferred following appeals from the Catholic and Protestant Churches in Congo, who advocated for political stakeholders to prioritize dialogue.

Beyond C64, sixty-five Congolese civil society organizations collectively addressed a memorandum to the head of state and key national institutions on Monday, August 10. In this document, they implored Félix Tshisekedi to abandon his proposed constitutional reform referendum. Their collective concern was that “such an initiative would risk exacerbating political tensions, deepening social divisions, and diverting national institutions from the nation’s genuine priorities.”