Violence broke out Friday in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital city, as opposition groups held a protest against proposed constitutional modifications that critics believe could enable President Félix Tshisekedi to run for a third term in office.
Law enforcement officers used tear gas to break up the gathering organized by opposition alliance C64 after confrontations erupted between demonstrators and government supporters near the Parliament building.
The nation faces numerous challenges, including an ongoing Ebola epidemic and intensifying violence from a long-running conflict involving Rwanda-supported M23 rebels, among more than 100 armed groups fighting for territory in eastern regions.
President Tshisekedi, age 62, assumed office in 2019 and is scheduled to finish his second five-year presidency in 2028. He has stated his openness to pursuing a third term if voters approve it through a referendum.
Current Congolese constitutional law prohibits any changes to presidential term restrictions. A proposed measure being reviewed by the National Assembly’s lower house would permit the president to modify these requirements during a “major dysfunction” that stops government operations from functioning, possibly after holding a referendum.
The nation’s primary opposition groups, which had been fragmented in previous years, united in May under C64, also known as Coalition Article 64, to fight what they characterize as Tshisekedi’s effort to extend his rule. The alliance has labeled the suggested modifications a “serious threat” to national stability.
Friday’s demonstration turned violent when opposition followers and pro-government activists fought before law enforcement stepped in.
Martin Fayulu, who finished second in the 2018 presidential race and ranks among Congo’s leading opposition politicians, was among those hurt. Footage shared on his official Facebook account displayed Fayulu with blood around his eyes and on his white shirt collar while supporters assisted him through the crowd.
