Congo’s democratic backslide under Tshisekedi’s third term push

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is witnessing a deliberate and systematic erosion of its democratic institutions. President Félix Tshisekedi has weaponized a recent constitutional court ruling to bypass the two-term limit, effectively dismantling a key democratic safeguard. Under the guise of “modernizing” outdated legal frameworks, his administration is consolidating power and steering the nation toward authoritarianism.

Meanwhile, dissenting voices are being systematically silenced. Peaceful opposition protests face brutal police crackdowns, while arbitrary arrests of political figures and activists surge. Even the unequivocal rebuke from the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) has been ignored by Tshisekedi, who remains steadfast in his pursuit of a third term.

International silence speaks volumes

The global response to Kinshasa’s constitutional manipulations has been notably muted. Western capitals—from Washington to Paris and Brussels—have adopted a perplexing silence, prioritizing short-term geopolitical interests over the DRC’s democratic aspirations. This reluctance starkly contrasts with the swift condemnations meted out to other African nations over similar constitutional revisions or coups.

Western governments justify their inaction by citing the ongoing insurgency in eastern DRC, where the M23 rebels threaten regional stability. Viewing Tshisekedi as a fragile bulwark against regional collapse, they overlook his domestic authoritarian tendencies in exchange for strategic cooperation and access to critical minerals essential for global energy transitions.

Constitutional referendum risks deepening division

Pushing ahead with a constitutional referendum while large swathes of eastern provinces remain beyond state control is a reckless gamble. Millions of Congolese citizens would be denied their fundamental political rights, and such a move could accelerate the de facto partition of the DRC. The international community’s failure to send a strong diplomatic signal—from the UN to the EU and African Union—abandons the Congolese people to Tshisekedi’s tyranny. It sends a dangerous message: democratic norms are negotiable when aligned with immediate geopolitical interests.

For the Free Democratic Forces (FDA), the Congolese people must not be held hostage by one man’s ambition or the cynicism of external powers. If the international community continues to ignore the warnings from Congolese citizens and the urgent appeals from Catholic and Protestant churches, it will share responsibility for the political instability and potential “Sudanization” engulfing the DRC. The time to act is now—uphold the DRC Constitution’s sacred terms and demand an immediate halt to this disguised dictatorial transition.