AFRICA/DR CONGO – Bishops: “It is dangerous to revise the Constitution now because there is no consensus or security conditions”

Kinshasa –The bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed their opposition to revising the Constitution adopted in 2006. “The position of the Congolese Bishops’ Conference has not changed. The principle of constitutional amendment is enshrined in the constitution itself, which also establishes the procedures for its revision. The constitution lists the articles that cannot be amended. Given the current security situation, it would be risky for the bishops to open the chapter on constitutional amendment in a context that lacks consensus,” explained Father Donatien Nshole, Secretary General of the Congolese Bishops’ Conference, at a press conference following the extraordinary plenary assembly held in Kinshasa from March 23 to 25.
In their statement released after the conference, the bishops emphasized the need for a “social pact for peace and peaceful coexistence” in the particularly tense national situation. The debate on constitutional reform contrasts sharply between the majority’s emphasis on the need for modernization and the opposition’s fear of an authoritarian shift. President Félix Tshisekedi’s party argues that the 2006 constitution does not reflect Congolese reality and must be amended or revised to strengthen the state’s effectiveness. The opposition and numerous civil society movements, on the other hand, condemn a political maneuver primarily aimed at removing presidential term limits to allow the current head of state to remain in power beyond 2028. The 2006 constitution was adopted after devastating civil wars and aimed to establish democratic institutions and stabilize the political system. One of its core provisions introduced term limits for the president to prevent the concentration of power that had characterized earlier periods of Congolese political history. Article 220 is particularly important, as it protects several fundamental principles from constitutional amendment. These include the republican form of government, universal suffrage, the representative system of government, presidential term limits, the independence of the judiciary, and political pluralism. The article also prohibits any changes that could restrict individual rights and freedoms or weaken the autonomy of provinces and decentralized territorial entities. Opponents of the reform argue that it would undermine these protected provisions and ultimately jeopardize democratic guarantees and threaten institutional stability. A constitutional reform attempt proposed by then-President Joseph Kabila in 2015 had already triggered a strong opposition movement .

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