On Thursday, August 13, in a high-stakes political climate marked by a “countdown” with the Coalition Article 64 (C64)—a coalition launched in May by major opposition parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—President Félix Tshisekedi requested Parliament revisit the law governing the conditions for organizing a referendum on constitutional reform.

The coalition argues this initiative, spearheaded by the ruling party since 2024, is a strategic move to enable Tshisekedi to pursue a third term, which the 2006 Constitution explicitly prohibits.

The previous day, in Kinshasa, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, Secretary General of Moïse Katumbi’s Ensemble pour la République and C64 spokesperson, issued a stern warning: the coalition would no longer heed “advice” and would escalate mobilizations unless the president took concrete steps toward national dialogue.

Originally slated for July 22, a Kinshasa march organized by C64 was postponed following appeals from Catholic and Protestant churches in the DRC, which urged political actors to prioritize dialogue over confrontation.

In addition to C64, 65 Congolese civil society organizations submitted a memorandum to President Tshisekedi and key national institutions on August 10, urging him to abandon the referendum plan. They warned that such a move could “fuel political tensions, deepen social divides, and distract institutions from the nation’s core priorities.”

A modest but significant concession

While Tshisekedi’s concession falls short of the coalition’s demands, it represents a “small step in the right direction,” according to Prince Epenge, C64 co-founder. The coalition has decided to maintain pressure, signaling that its fight is far from over.