Tensions have escalated this week between the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the government following a bold statement from the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO) opposing a constitutional revision that would allow President Félix Tshisekedi to run for a third term in 2028.
The CENCO has urged Félix Tshisekedi to uphold the oath he took «before God and the Nation» and reserves the right to announce a timeline of on-the-ground actions. It has called on the population to resist and thwart this move, warning that it «risks balkanizing the country and plunging it into civil war».
Civil war looms as constitutional change gains traction
The Congolese Constitution limits presidents to two terms, yet President Tshisekedi has been in power since January 2019 and was re-elected in 2023 for what was supposed to be his final mandate. However, in early May, he hinted at the possibility of seeking a third term, suggesting a referendum to amend the Constitution. His political allies have since been actively pushing for this agenda.
Church opposes constitutional revision, citing national peril
The Catholic Church, which previously opposed former President Joseph Kabila’s attempt to bypass term limits for a third term, has once again voiced strong opposition. Deeply concerned about the constitutional revision proposal, the CENCO convened an «extraordinary plenary assembly» in Kinshasa from June 18 to 20, 2026.
In their 17-point final declaration, the 37 members of the Episcopal Conference—comprising cardinals, bishops, and priests—warned that «the Nation is in peril!» Despite multiple peace agreements, the country remains mired in conflict. For the past four years, rebel groups like the Alliance of the Congo River/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) have tightened their grip on the North and South Kivu regions, effectively administering the territories they occupy.
Violent conflict in the East and Ebola threat
In Ituri and parts of North Kivu, armed factions such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are «massacring thousands» of Congolese civilians. To compound these crises, a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever has emerged in the East, raising fears of further spread.
The Congolese clergy expressed grave concern, stating: «We observe, with mounting dread, the intensifying tensions fueled by the ruling majority’s campaign to revise the Constitution of February 18, 2006.» They added, «Regrettably, this campaign, which mobilizes state resources, thrives in an atmosphere of terror against dissenting voices within the majority, who are silenced out of fear of retaliation. Meanwhile, opposition protests are brutally suppressed by police forces, often in collusion with the militia of a ruling party known as the ‘Force of Progress.’»
The bishops firmly declared that there is «neither the necessity, urgency, nor opportunity» to amend the Constitution. Their priority, they emphasized, is «peace, social welfare, unity, and national cohesion.»
Church accused of fomenting unrest
In response to the bishops’ statement, the Union sacrée pour la Nation (USN), a coalition of 400 political parties and movements supporting President Tshisekedi, condemned the CENCO’s declaration as «nothing short of an act of subversion aimed at undermining legitimately established democratic institutions.»
In a strongly worded communiqué, the president’s supporters accused the bishops of using «inflammatory rhetoric that clearly incites popular uprising and the overthrow of the constitutional order.»
