Congo police fire tear gas at protests against Tshisekedi third-term push
Police in Congo fired tear gas Tuesday to disperse hundreds of people protesting in the capital against constitutional changes demonstrators said could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to seek a third term. The opposition coalition C64 organized the demonstrations in Kinshasa and several other cities, despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed due to an Ebola outbreak.
Protests were held in Lubumbashi and Kindu in eastern Congo. The protest in Kinshasa drew hundreds of people and began peacefully.
Police used tear gas and warning shots to disperse the crowd after protesters clashed with pro-government supporters.
Opposition leader Martin Fayulu accused the government of collaborating with a political party militia. “God is great; I made it out alive,” Fayulu said. “There was a massacre, and the police were firing at us.”
Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya condemned the opposition for disrupting activities by falsely claiming schools would be closed on Tuesday. “The right to protest is recognized in the Constitution, but it must be exercised properly,” Muyaya said.
Police also dispersed a June rally in Kinshasa that C64 organized against the constitutional changes. Several people, including Fayulu, were injured.
Tshisekedi, 62, has been in office since 2019 and is due to complete his second five-year term in 2028. He has said he would be willing to seek a third term if approved by voters in a referendum.
The Congolese Constitution bars any revision of presidential term limits. A bill under consideration in the National Assembly, a lower chamber, would allow the president to amend those provisions in the event of a “major dysfunction” that paralyzes state institutions, potentially following a referendum.
Congo’s main opposition parties joined forces in May under the banner of C64, or Coalition Article 64, to oppose what they describe as an attempt by Tshisekedi to remain in power. The coalition has called the proposed changes a “serious threat” to the country’s stability.
Congo faces multiple crises, including an Ebola outbreak and an escalation of the decades-long conflict with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, one of more than 100 armed groups vying for control in the eastern provinces.
