Violence erupts in DRC's Kinshasa over proposed constitutional changes that could extend Tshisekedi's rule

DRC President Félix Tshisekedi. (Photo: File)

By Bashir Mbuthia
Friday, June 12, 2026

No deaths or arrests were immediately reported following the incident, but videos shared on social media showed some opposition members with visible injuries being helped away by supporters after the unrest

Police used tear gas to break up a protest in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday after a demonstration against proposed constitutional reforms that could extend the term limits of President Felix Tshisekedi, descended into violence.

According to the Associated Press, the demonstration was organised by the opposition coalition C64, which opposes a bill that would permit changes to presidential term-limit provisions in the event of a major institutional crisis, potentially subject to a referendum.

Opposition groups have maintained that the proposal could undermine constitutional safeguards and threaten political stability.

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"I have not asked for a third term, but I tell you this: If the people want me to have a third term, I will accept," Tshisekedi said in early May during a press conference in Kinshasa.

Earlier on Friday, former president Joseph Kabila also chimed in on the development, expressing concern over the proposed changes and their implications for political stability.

According to Kabila, the proposal, which he described as an attempt at the “Sudanization” of the country, undermines the social contract and must be challenged by all, regardless of religious, political, or other affiliations.

“A decisive step has just been taken towards the consolidation of tyranny and the establishment of power without foreseeable limits or any credible prospect of democratic political change,” he said.

“I must remind everyone that Article 64, paragraph one of our Constitution stipulates that every Congolese citizen has the duty to resist any individual or group of individuals who exercise power in violation of the Constitution. This is not merely a right. It is a patriotic duty.”