Police crack down on protests against constitutional change in DR Congo

Security forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo moved to disperse demonstrations on Tuesday as hundreds protested proposed amendments to the constitution that opponents say could open the way for President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term. In the capital Kinshasa police fired tear gas, and authorities also confronted demonstrators in the southeastern mining hub Lubumbashi and the town of Uvira, despite official restrictions on gatherings. Organisers said the protests formed part of a nationwide day of action called by the C64 coalition, a grouping of opposition forces assembled to block the constitutional changes. Opposition figures reported arrests and heavy security deployments; Mohamed Eyenga of the Envol party, a senior C64 member, said many activists were detained and that the scale of army and police presence had been surprising. Provincial police commander General Blaise Kilimbalimba countered those accounts, saying that peaceful participants had not been arrested. The controversy centers on efforts to alter the constitution, which currently limits presidents to two five-year terms. In June, the national parliament approved a bill enabling constitutional amendments to be placed before voters in a referendum, and allies of Tshisekedi have backed changes that critics say would allow him to remain in office. Political parties and the Catholic Church have publicly opposed the proposal. The demonstrations come against a backdrop of broader instability. Tshisekedi announced plans three weeks ago for a national dialogue involving opposition, civil society and religious leaders, but that process would not include M23 and other armed groups that control parts of the east. Fighting in the resource-rich eastern regions, which flared again in 2024, has complicated responses to what officials say is the world’s worst Ebola outbreak, as the disease spreads in conflict-affected, remote areas with limited state presence and weak health infrastructure. DRC and Rwandan officials are due to meet in Geneva on September 16–17 to discuss implementation of the 2025 Washington Accords amid ongoing accusations about external support for the rebels.