The Democratic Republic of Congo's justice minister has ordered a judicial investigation into violence that erupted during an anti-government protest in Kinshasa, the country's sprawling capital on the Congo River, on 15 September. The probe, instructed to the Attorney General, will examine allegations of violence, injuries, destruction of property, and the reported death of at least one opposition supporter, as well as a number of arrests.

The demonstration was organised by the C64 movement, a coalition opposing a proposed constitutional amendment that could allow President Félix Tshisekedi, 63, to seek a third five-year term in office. Protests took place across the country, but the rally in Kinshasa quickly descended into chaos. Hundreds of opposition protesters clashed with what the opposition describes as pro-government gangs armed with machetes, while police dispersed crowds using tear gas. The opposition has formally accused government-aligned groups, including a formation known as the Forces du Progrès, of playing a direct role in the crackdown.

One week later, on 22 September, the political divide was on vivid display as thousands of supporters of Tshisekedi's party, the Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social (UDPS), marched through Kinshasa in a show of force. Dressed largely in white and in a festive mood, the crowd processed along the city's Boulevard Lumumba toward the Stade des Martyrs to express support for the constitutional change. The party's secretary-general, Augustin Kabuya, told marchers in Lingala that