[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” text_orientation=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false”]<\/p>\n
The main leaders of the C64 coalition include Martin Fayulu (ECiD\u00e9), Delly Sesanga (Envol), Jean-Marc Kabund (Alliance pour le Changement), Mo\u00efse Katumbi (Ensemble pour la R\u00e9publique),\u00a0 and Augustin Matata Ponyo (LGD), preparing the Ghost Town in Kinshasa for 3 June 2026<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ text_font=”||||||||” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n
As the sun sets over the Congo River this late May 2026, the political atmosphere in Kinshasa has reached a boiling point, transforming the capital into a chessboard where the pawns are articles of law and the stakes are the nation\u2019s future.<\/strong> The central theater of this conflict is the explosive debate over constitutional reform. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n While the administration of President F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi frames the proposed changes as a necessary modernization of state institutions, a powerful cross-section of civil society, the Catholic Church, and an increasingly organized opposition views this legislative push as a “Trojan Horse” designed to dismantle term limits and entrench executive power beyond 2028.<\/p>\n The moral weight of this resistance is anchored by the Conf\u00e9rence \u00c9piscopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO). For the Church, the timing of this debate\u2014amidst an acute security crisis in the East and pervasive economic hardship\u2014is not just ill-advised; it is a profound dereliction of duty. Archbishop Fridolin Ambongo, the Archbishop of Kinshasa, has emerged as the most formidable voice against this agenda, shifting the narrative from legal technicalities to the immediate, tangible needs of the Congolese people.<\/p>\n “To the Catholic Church, which is already mobilized, and to the Protestant Church: rise up and stand firm to block all these schemes,” declared the Cardinal, before warning that “the days ahead will be difficult.” “When the time comes, when they persist in trying to push these laws through, they must find us in their way,” he warned.<\/p>\n As he challenged the ruling elite to prioritize human development over political restructuring, he pointedly asked: “How can a country like ours spend time, energy, and even money talking about constitutional change instead of taking care of its abandoned youth?”<\/em>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Fridolin_Ambongo_cropped-Wikimedia-Image-1024×701.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”Fridolin_Ambongo_(cropped) Wikimedia Image” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” text_orientation=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Cardinal of the DRC Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa | Photo Wikimedia<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ text_font=”|700|||||||” text_orientation=”left”]<\/p>\n “To the Catholic Church, which is already mobilized, and to the Protestant Church: rise up and stand firm to block all these schemes,” declared the Cardinal, before warning that “the days ahead will be difficult.” “When the time comes, when they persist in trying to push these laws through, they must find us in their way,” he warned.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ text_font_last_edited=”on|desktop” text_font=”||||||||” text_orientation=”left” text_font_tablet=”||||||||” text_font_phone=”||||||||”]<\/p>\n Echoing this caution, Father Donatien Nshole, Secretary General of CENCO, reinforced the Church’s long-standing position that the state\u2019s current fragility makes any constitutional tampering a dangerous provocation, noting: “The principle of constitutional amendment is enshrined in the constitution itself… 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”<\/em>.<\/p>\n As the Catholic Church hardens its stance, reports indicate that the Tshisekedi administration is pivoting toward a different spiritual power base: the growing network of evangelical and revivalist churches. Observers and analysts suggest that the president is courting these influential, often less overtly political, spiritual leaders to act as a counterweight to CENCO\u2019s moral authority. In this volatile climate, President Tshisekedi has attempted to frame his potential future as a matter of popular mandate rather than personal ambition. During a nationally televised press conference, he addressed the prospect of a third term, stating: “I did not ask for a third term, but I tell you this: if the people want me to have a third term, I will accept”<\/em>.<\/p>\n In the corridors of power, the Union Sacr\u00e9e de la Nation (USN) continues to drive the narrative that the 2006 Constitution is a relic of a bygone era. Yet, the opposition has responded with a rare moment of tactical unity. By forming the “Article 64” (C64) platform\u2014named for the constitutional provision that mandates the defense of the state against subversion\u2014figures like Martin Fayulu and others have signaled that they are preparing for a wider campaign of civil resistance, including a planned “ville morte” (ghost town) strike.<\/p>\n The main leaders of the C64 coalition include Martin Fayulu (ECiD\u00e9), Mo\u00efse Katumbi (Ensemble pour la R\u00e9publique), Delly Sesanga (Envol), Jean-Marc Kabund (Alliance pour le Changement), and Augustin Matata Ponyo (LGD). The coalition also incorporates members of Joseph Kabila\u2019s PPRD, a notable inclusion given that Kabila oversaw the controversial transfer of power to F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi\u2014effectively bypassing the 2018 election results\u2014with the endorsement of Corneille Nangaa, the current coordinator of the AFC\/M23. Today, all these disparate political forces have aligned themselves within the opposition.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Tensions-a-Masina-le-28-Mai-.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”Tensions a Masina le 28 Mai” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”11px” text_orientation=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Demonstration by activists from the opposition party ECiD\u00e9\u2014Martin Fayulu\u2019s party\u2014in Masina on May 28, 2028, which managed to paralyze a section of Lumumba Boulevard during the morning.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” text_font=”||||||||” text_orientation=”left” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The rhetoric within this coalition is increasingly militant, reflecting a deep-seated fear that the reform agenda is a precursor to authoritarianism. Opposition activist Prince Epenge explicitly warned of the potential consequences, stating: “If the UDPS persists in its reckless pursuit of changing the constitution, it will not only legitimize war but also risk leading the country into civil war. It is time for the people to rise up and say ‘Stop'”<\/em>.<\/p>\n Political tension has also spilled over into Parliament. On Wednesday, May 27, deputies from the “Ensemble” group\u2014the only opposition force in the National Assembly\u2014boycotted the review of the bill initiated by Deputy Paul Gaspard Ngondankoy concerning the procedures for organizing a referendum. The text had been deemed admissible, subject to amendments, by the Political, Administrative, and Legal Commission (PAJ).<\/p>\n Beneath this high-stakes political maneuvering lies the grim reality of the common citizen. In the bustling markets of Kinshasa and the remote villages of the interior, the “constitutional debate” is often viewed through the lens of survival. Recent days have seen a surge in localized unrest. In various neighborhoods across Kinshasa, protesters have taken to the streets to express their discontent, with reports of burning tires blocking major arteries\u2014a classic tactic of urban resistance in the city.<\/p>\n The disconnect between political elites and the masses is palpable; as one market trader in downtown Kinshasa lamented during a recent interview: “They are fighting over the law, but who cares about the price of chikwangue?”<\/em>. This sentiment captures the growing frustration of a population that sees the political class\u2019s obsession with constitutional reform as a distraction from the persistent inflation and economic precarity that define their daily struggle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the sun sets over the Congo River this late May 2026, the political atmosphere in Kinshasa has reached a boiling point, transforming the capital into a chessboard where the pawns are articles of law and the stakes are the nation\u2019s future. 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