Politics 12 June 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
DRC Security Forces Disrupt Protest Against Constitutional Change
Congolese security forces used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse a protest in Kinshasa against potential constitutional changes that critics fear will allow President Tshisekedi to seek a third term. Several opposition figures reported injuries, including one shot in the leg. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/congolese-security-forces-disperse-protesters-opposing-constitutional-change-5494484
Security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo forcefully dispersed demonstrators gathered outside the parliament in Kinshasa on Friday. The protest, organized by the opposition alliance Coalition Article 64 (C64), aimed to voice opposition to proposed constitutional amendments that critics argue are designed to bypass presidential term limits.
Witnesses reported that security forces deployed tear gas and live ammunition to break up the demonstration, while protesters retaliated by throwing rocks. Opposition politicians present at the scene claimed that several individuals, including prominent political figures, sustained injuries. A spokesperson for the opposition leader Delly Sesanga stated on X that he was shot in the leg during the confrontation.
The demonstration occurred just days after Congo’s National Assembly approved a bill that could lead to constitutional changes through a public referendum. Opposition leaders have expressed strong concerns that this move is a strategic maneuver to allow President Felix Tshisekedi to run for a third consecutive term, which is prohibited by the current constitution after he has served two terms (2018 and 2023).
President Tshisekedi himself commented on the possibility of a third term last month, suggesting he would consider running again if the Congolese people requested it. Government officials have not yet commented on the specific allegations of live ammunition being used, though a police official at the scene stated that officers acted to restore order. The deployment of security forces and aligned militants around parliament since dawn indicated the authorities’ intention to prevent the protest from materializing.