DRC: catholic church warns against constitutional changes amid political tension

A fresh wave of tension has emerged this week between the Catholic Church and the government in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This follows a resolute declaration by the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) opposing a proposed constitutional amendment that would enable President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in 2028.

CENCO has urged President Tshisekedi to uphold the solemn oath he made “before God and the Nation.” The Conference also indicated its readiness to announce a schedule of on-the-ground actions. It has called upon the populace to resist and thwart this endeavor, cautioning that it “risks balkanizing the country and leading it into civil war.”

Threat of civil conflict

The Congolese Constitution explicitly limits presidential mandates to two terms. President Tshisekedi assumed power in January 2019 and secured re-election in 2023 for what was understood to be his second and final term. However, in early May, during a press conference, he suggested he might consider pursuing a third term, raising the possibility of a referendum to amend the Constitution on this matter. His political allies have since been actively working towards this objective.

Catholic Church’s historical opposition to constitutional changes

The Catholic Church, which previously stood against former President Joseph Kabila’s attempts to modify the Constitution for a third mandate, has once again voiced its strong concerns. Deeply troubled by the prospect of constitutional revision, CENCO convened an “Extraordinary Plenary Assembly” in Kinshasa from June 18 to 20, 2026.

In their 17-point final declaration, published on CENCO’s website, the 37 members of the Episcopal Conference—comprising cardinals, bishops, and priests—declared that “the Nation was in peril!” They highlighted that the country remains embroiled in conflict despite numerous peace accords. For the past four years, North and South Kivu have been under the control of rebels from the Alliance du Fleuve Congo / Mouvement du 23 mars (AFC/M23), who are progressively consolidating their administration over occupied territories.

Bloody conflict in the East and Ebola concerns

In Ituri and parts of North Kivu, other armed factions, including the Forces démocratiques alliées (ADF), are reportedly “massacring thousands” of Congolese citizens. Adding to these already grave circumstances, the East is also grappling with the highly contagious Ebola hemorrhagic fever, raising fears of its wider spread.

“Meanwhile, we observe with great apprehension a rising tension stemming from the ruling majority’s campaign in favor of amending the Constitution of February 18, 2006,” the Congolese clergy lamented. They continued, “Regrettably, this campaign, which mobilizes state resources, unfolds in a climate of terror against dissenting voices even within the Majority, who are compelled to silence themselves out of fear of reprisals. As for opposition demonstrations, they are violently suppressed by the police, in collaboration with a political party’s militia known as ‘Force du progrès’.”

For the Congolese bishops, there is “neither the necessity, nor the urgency, nor the appropriateness” for constitutional change. They assert that the country’s true priorities are “peace, the social well-being of the people, unity, and national cohesion.”

Bishops accused of subversion

In response to this episcopal declaration, the Union sacrée pour la Nation (USN) platform, a coalition of 400 political parties and movements supporting President Tshisekedi, expressed its “indignation” and “condemned with the utmost energy” CENCO’s statement. The USN characterized it as “nothing other than an act of subversion directed against legitimate and democratically established institutions.”

In a communiqué released on their website, supporters of the Head of State declared: “it is regrettable to note that (these) bishops use in their diatribe several remarks manifestly inciting popular uprising and the overthrow of constitutional order.”