DRC opposition urges Tshisekedi to abandon constitutional changes

A leading Congolese opposition figure has called on President Felix Tshisekedi to abandon proposed constitutional changes that opponents fear could pave the way for a third presidential term.

Delly Sesanga, president of the ENVOL party and a member of the C64 opposition coalition, said the opposition’s priority was to ensure Tshisekedi leaves office when his second and final term ends in 2028.

“We have a struggle, and the struggle we have today is to prevent any change to the constitution, to stop a third term for Mr Tshisekedi, to say that, whether he likes it or not, in 2028 he will no longer have a mandate at the head of our country and he must step down, and we must organise elections to choose new leaders for the country. This is the meaning of our country’s history that we, as the opposition, are determined to preserve at all costs.”

Tshisekedi, who has been in power since 2019, won a second five-year term in the 2023 election. Under the current constitution, he cannot seek another term.

The debate over constitutional reform comes as the country remains gripped by conflict, particularly in the east, where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group controls large areas of North and South Kivu.

Sesanga says any effort to achieve lasting peace must include all sides of the conflict, including M23 and opposition figures living outside the country

“Inclusivity is the condition for peace and the reunification of the country and, consequently, the participation of the AFC-M23, Joseph Kabila, Nangaa [Corneille, coordinator of the AFC-M23] and all the other compatriots who are scattered across the world and cannot return for political reasons is necessary in order to move forward with a dialogue that is effective and that provides solutions to the country’s problems, whose first mission would be to put an end to the conflict and the war.”

The Congolese government has resisted calls for M23 to participate in a national political dialogue, while diplomatic efforts continue to secure a lasting ceasefire.

Sesanga argues that neither the government nor the armed group can achieve a decisive military victory.

“Today, whether on the side of the AFC-M23 or on the side of the government, the prospect of a military victory is out of reach for either of them. It is therefore necessary to call not only for an end to hostilities, but also to shorten the suffering of our people.”

With elections due in 2028, the opposition is seeking to build pressure against constitutional changes while also demanding an inclusive political process to address the country’s security and economic crises.