A leading coalition of Congolese opposition figures has called on President Félix Tshisekedi to abandon proposed constitutional changes they fear could be used to extend his rule beyond 2028, when his second and final term is due to end. The call comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo — a vast Central African nation of roughly 100 million people — faces a deepening armed conflict in its eastern provinces and mounting political uncertainty over the next elections.

Delly Sesanga, president of the ENVOL party and a prominent voice in the C64 coalition, was unequivocal in stating the opposition's objective. "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," Sesanga said, adding that organising elections to choose new leadership was the defining purpose of the opposition's campaign. C64 — whose name references Article 64 of the DRC's constitution, which obliges citizens to resist anyone who seizes power in violation of the constitutional order — has announced nationwide demonstrations for September 15, with protesters in the capital, Kinshasa, expected to march on the Palais du Peuple, the seat of parliament.

The confrontation was accelerated in June when parliament passed legislation establishing the conditions for holding a referendum, potentially through a constituent assembly, in cases of what it describes as a "major dysfunction" of state institutions. The Constitutional Court ruled in July that the law was broadly compliant with the constitution but raised concerns about certain provisions. Tshisekedi subsequently asked parliament to revisit the legislation, with fresh deliberation scheduled for September. His camp has presented the reform as a broad institutional matter, but critics argue the mechanism could ultimately be used to remove the constitutional provisions that currently bar him from a third term — provisions that are specifically protected from revision under the existing constitution.

The political dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of a devastating conflict in eastern Congo, where the M23 armed group — operating within the broader Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) political-military coalition and widely accused of receiving Rwandan backing, a charge Kigali denies — controls Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu. Tshisekedi has warned that holding credible elections in 2028 may prove impossible while parts of the country remain outside government control. Sesanga and other opposition figures argue that resolving the conflict requires an inclusive dialogue involving all parties, including M23 and exiled political figures, a position the Congolese government has resisted.

With Tshisekedi preparing to propose a national dialogue involving political parties, civil society, and religious groups, and the opposition mobilising for street protests, the DRC is entering what analysts describe as one of the most consequential periods in its recent political history. The stakes extend beyond a constitutional technicality: at issue is whether the country can agree on the rules governing the peaceful transfer of power while simultaneously managing an active war. As one Congolese analyst put it, the government risks being seen as prioritising political manoeuvring over addressing the conflict that most directly affects its citizens' lives.