A fresh wave of tension has emerged this week between the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the government. This follows a resolute stance taken by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) against a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at allowing President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in 2028.
CENCO has urged President Tshisekedi to uphold the oath he swore “before God and the Nation.” The conference also announced its intention to release a schedule of direct actions on the ground. Furthermore, it called upon the populace to resist and thwart this endeavor, which, according to the bishops, “risks fragmenting the country and leading it into civil war.”
Risk of civil conflict highlighted
The Congolese Constitution explicitly limits presidential mandates to two terms. President Tshisekedi assumed power in January 2019 and was re-elected in 2023 for what was understood to be his second and final mandate. However, in early May, during a press conference, he suggested he might consider running for a third term, hinting at the possibility of a referendum to amend the Constitution on this matter. Since then, his political allies have been actively working towards this objective.
Catholic Church’s consistent opposition to constitutional changes
The Catholic Church, which previously opposed former President Joseph Kabila’s attempts to remove constitutional term limits for a third mandate, has once again voiced its strong concerns. Troubled by the prospect of constitutional revision, CENCO convened an “extraordinary plenary assembly” in Kinshasa from June 18 to 20.
In their 17-point final declaration, published on CENCO’s website, the 37 members of the Episcopal Conference—comprising a cardinal, bishops, and priests—declared that “the Nation is in peril!” They noted that the country remains embroiled in conflict despite numerous peace accords. For the past four years, North and South Kivu have been under the control of rebels from the Alliance du Fleuve Congo / Mouvement du 23 mars (AFC/M23), who are increasingly consolidating their administration over occupied territories.
Bloody conflict in the East and Ebola threat
In Ituri and parts of North Kivu, other armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), are perpetrating massacres against thousands of Congolese citizens. Adding to these already severe challenges, the hemorrhagic fever disease Ebola has resurfaced in the East, posing a risk of further spread.
“Meanwhile, we observe with great concern a growing tension stemming from the ruling majority’s campaign in favor of amending the Constitution of February 18, 2006,” lamented the Congolese clergy. They further stated, “Unfortunately, this campaign, which mobilizes state resources, is unfolding in a climate of terror against dissenting voices even within the majority, who are forced into silence by fear of reprisals. As for opposition demonstrations, they are violently suppressed by the police, often in collaboration with a political party militia known as ‘Force du progrès’.”
For the Congolese bishops, there is “neither the necessity, nor the urgency, nor the appropriateness of changing the Constitution.” They emphasized that the country’s true priorities are “peace, the social well-being of the people, unity, and national cohesion.”
Bishops accused of subversion
In response to the episcopal declaration, the Union sacrée pour la Nation (USN) platform—a coalition of 400 political parties and movements supporting President Tshisekedi—expressed its “indignation” and “strongly condemned” CENCO’s statement. The USN asserted that the declaration “is nothing less than an act of subversion directed against legitimate and democratically established institutions.”
In a communiqué published on their website, the President’s supporters declared, “It is regrettable to note that these bishops, in their diatribe, use several statements manifestly inciting popular uprising and the overthrow of constitutional order.”
