A fresh wave of tension has emerged this week between the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the government. This follows a firm stance taken by the Conférence épiscopale nationale du Congo (CENCO) against a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow President Félix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in 2028.
CENCO has urged President Tshisekedi to uphold the oath he made “before God and the Nation.” The episcopal conference also stated its intention to announce a timetable of actions on the ground, calling upon the populace to resist and thwart this endeavor, which it warns could “balkanize the country and lead it to civil war.”
potential for civil conflict
The Congolese Constitution explicitly limits presidential mandates to two terms. President Tshisekedi, who assumed office in January 2019, was re-elected 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 running for a third term, opening the door to a potential referendum to alter the Constitution on this matter. His political allies have since been actively campaigning in support of this possibility.
church’s historical opposition to constitutional changes
The Catholic Church, which previously opposed former President Joseph Kabila’s attempts to amend the Constitution for a third term, has once again voiced its strong disapproval. Concerned 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 despite numerous peace accords, the country remains embroiled in conflict. For the past four years, North and South Kivu have been largely controlled by rebels from the Alliance du Fleuve Congo / Mouvement du 23 mars (AFC/M23), who are steadily consolidating their administration over occupied territories.
bloody conflict in the east and ebola threat
In Ituri and parts of North Kivu, other armed groups, including the Forces démocratiques alliées (ADF), are reportedly “massacring thousands” of Congolese citizens. Adding to these already grave circumstances, the hemorrhagic fever Ebola has re-emerged in the East, raising fears of its wider spread.
“Meanwhile, we observe with great concern a growing tension stemming from the campaign by the ruling majority in favor of changing the Constitution of February 18, 2006,” lamented the Congolese clergy. They further noted, “Unfortunately, this campaign, which mobilizes state resources, is conducted in a climate of terror against dissenting voices even within the Majority, who are forced into silence by fear of reprisals. As for opposition demonstrations, they are violently suppressed by the police, in collaboration with a political party militia known as ‘Force du progrès’.”
For the Congolese bishops, there is “neither the necessity, nor the urgency, nor the opportuneness for changing the Constitution.” 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 backing President Tshisekedi, expressed its “indignation” and “condemned with the utmost energy” the statement from CENCO’s bishops. The USN deemed it “nothing other than an act of subversion directed against legitimate and democratically established institutions.”
In a communiqué published on their website, the President’s supporters stated: “It is regrettable to note that (these) bishops use, in their diatribe, several remarks manifestly inciting popular uprising and the overthrow of constitutional order.” This development marks a significant moment in pan-African current affairs, highlighting the ongoing political dynamics in the region.
