Amid mounting tensions and a looming deadline set by the Coalition Article 64 (C64), a prominent opposition alliance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Félix Tshisekedi has requested Parliament to re-evaluate a controversial law. This legislation outlines the procedures for organizing a referendum on constitutional reform, a move that has deeply polarized the nation since C64’s formation in May.

The opposition coalition views this proposed bill, championed by the presidential party since 2024, as a thinly veiled attempt to pave the way for President Tshisekedi to seek a third term. Such a move would directly contravene the 2006 Constitution, which explicitly limits presidential mandates.

On August 12, in the capital Kinshasa, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, Secretary General of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and a spokesperson for C64, issued a stern warning. He stated that the coalition would no longer entertain appeals for restraint but would instead encourage widespread public mobilization if President Tshisekedi failed to initiate a comprehensive national dialogue.

C64 had previously set Saturday, August 15, as the critical date to assess progress in the political dialogue with the president. The coalition had also called upon citizens to prepare for “mobilization and resistance” should the proposed referendum law, currently under parliamentary review, not be withdrawn.

A Small Step in the Right Direction

While President Tshisekedi’s concession to request a new parliamentary deliberation does not fully satisfy the opposition’s demands, which has vowed to maintain its pressure, it has been acknowledged as “a small step in the right direction” by Prince Epenge, a co-founder of the C64 Coalition.

Earlier, a planned march in Kinshasa by C64, originally scheduled for July 22, was postponed. This delay followed interventions by the Catholic and Protestant Churches of Congo, which had urged political actors to prioritize peaceful dialogue over confrontation.

Beyond C64, a collective of 65 Congolese civil society organizations also voiced their concerns. In a memorandum submitted on August 10 to the Head of State and key national institutions, they implored Félix Tshisekedi to abandon the constitutional reform referendum. They argued that such an initiative risked “exacerbating political tensions, worsening social divisions, and diverting institutions from the nation’s true priorities.”