At least one person died and ten others were arrested in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Tuesday after clashes broke out during a major opposition protest against proposed changes to the country's constitution. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets before being dispersed by security forces before they could reach Parliament.

The protest was organised by the C64 opposition platform, a broad coalition of parties opposed to legislative moves that critics say are designed to allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in office. Under the DRC's current constitution, presidents are limited to two five-year terms. In June, however, parliament approved legislation that would allow constitutional changes to be put to a national referendum, and members of Tshisekedi's political coalition have publicly supported amendments that could extend his mandate beyond that limit.

The opposition party ADD Congo confirmed that one of its members was found unconscious following the clashes and later died at Olympic Hospital in Kinshasa. The precise circumstances of the death remain disputed. The C64 platform has said it will convene to consider its next steps, including calls for international intervention and pressure.

The unrest in Kinshasa adds a volatile dimension to an already fraught constitutional debate. The DRC, a vast Central African country roughly the size of Western Europe and home to around 100 million people, has a long history of political instability and disputed elections. The prospect of a sitting president engineering a constitutional amendment to remain in power has drawn comparisons to similar moves seen elsewhere on the continent and has galvanised opposition groups.

Why this matters: The constitutional dispute in Kinshasa reflects a pattern seen across parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where term-limit protections — often hard-won after decades of authoritarian rule — have come under pressure from incumbent leaders. The death of a protester and the arrest of at least ten others risk further inflaming tensions in a country already grappling with armed conflict in its eastern regions. The response of international partners, as well as the direction taken by the C64 platform, will be closely watched in the coming days.