On Thursday, August 13, in the midst of escalating tensions with the Coalition Article 64 (C64)—a platform established in May by major opposition political forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—President Félix Tshisekedi requested Parliament reconsider the bill outlining conditions for a referendum on constitutional reform.

The coalition argues this proposal, championed by the ruling party since 2024, is a strategic move to enable Tshisekedi to seek a third term, a move prohibited by the 2006 Constitution.

The previous day, August 12, in Kinshasa, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, Secretary-General of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and spokesperson for C64, warned the coalition would no longer heed warnings and would escalate mobilizations if the president failed to engage in genuine national dialogue.

Originally scheduled for July 22, a protest march in Kinshasa had been postponed following appeals from Catholic and Protestant churches in the Congo, urging political actors to prioritize dialogue.

Beyond C64, 65 Congolese civil society organizations issued a memorandum to the head of state and key institutions on August 10, urging Félix Tshisekedi to abandon the constitutional referendum. They argued such an initiative could deepen political tensions, widen social divides, and divert national focus from pressing priorities.

A cautious concession

While President Tshisekedi’s retreat does not fully meet the coalition’s demands, Prince Epenge, C64 co-founder, acknowledged it as a cautious concession in the right direction, though pressure would be maintained.