A coalition of major opposition groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has rejected President Felix Tshisekedi’s proposal for a national dialogue, accusing his administration of using the initiative to advance a plan that could enable him to seek a third term.
The Article 64 coalition, which brings together leading opposition parties, announced its rejection on Friday, describing the government’s proposed consultations as a substitute for what it considers a genuinely inclusive national dialogue.
The development comes amid continuing political tensions in the country and persistent fighting involving the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which has seized large areas of territory in eastern DRC over the past five years.
Tshisekedi, in his address on Thursday, ruled out the participation of M23 representatives in the proposed dialogue, saying a peace agreement signed in Washington in December provided the appropriate framework for addressing the group.
However, the agreement has so far failed to bring an end to the fighting.
Some opposition groups have insisted that any meaningful national dialogue must include representatives of M23 as well as allies of former President Joseph Kabila, who was sentenced to death in absentia last year after being convicted of “complicity” with the armed group.
The opposition’s rejection of the dialogue also comes as political parties intensify their campaign against a proposed constitutional amendment that could pave the way for Tshisekedi to seek a third presidential term.
Tshisekedi was first elected president in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. Under the current Constitution, a president is limited to two terms in office.
In a statement issued Friday, the Article 64 coalition said it “categorically opposes and strongly rejects” what it described as the “so-called public consultations initiated by Felix Tshisekedi in place of an inclusive national dialogue.”
The coalition accused the president of continuing efforts to alter the country’s political system to enable him to remain in power beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms.
Tshisekedi had on Thursday appealed to political leaders to abandon hate speech and embrace compromise, as he pushed for dialogue amid the country’s political and security crises.
Earlier in August, the president returned a controversial bill on referendum procedures for a second reading after the Constitutional Court upheld it in July. Critics have linked the proposed changes to broader efforts to amend the Constitution.
The Article 64 coalition also confirmed Friday that it would hold nationwide protests on September 15, after postponing demonstrations initially planned for August 15.
Authorities had earlier disrupted a July opposition rally in Kinshasa against the proposed constitutional changes. Several opposition supporters were injured during clashes, while the United Nations reported that at least one person was killed.
The renewed confrontation between the government and opposition threatens to deepen political tensions in the DRC, even as the country continues to grapple with insecurity and armed conflict in its eastern regions.
