The Democratic Republic of Congo’s political landscape has entered uncharted territory under President Félix Tshisekedi. A recent constitutional court ruling has handed him a powerful tool: the ability to bypass the two-term limit by establishing a new Republic. Disguised as a modernization of outdated texts, the regime is methodically consolidating its grip on institutions, pushing the country toward authoritarianism.

On the ground, dissenting voices face systematic suppression. Peaceful opposition protests are met with brutal police repression, while arbitrary arrests of political figures and activists escalate. Even the unambiguous condemnation from the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO) is ignored by Tshisekedi’s administration.

As the regime maneuvers to secure a third term, international partners in Kinshasa remain conspicuously silent. Their inaction sacrifices the Congolese people’s democratic aspirations on the altar of short-term security and economic interests.

The deafening silence from Washington, Paris, Brussels, and beyond is striking. It starkly contrasts with the swift condemnations issued against coups and constitutional changes elsewhere in Africa.

Western capitals justify their complacency by citing the ongoing war in the eastern DRC, where M23 rebels threaten regional stability. Viewing Tshisekedi as a fragile bulwark against total collapse, they prioritize strategic cooperation and access to critical minerals over democratic principles.

Constitutional manipulation in a war-torn nation

This calculus is a historic misstep. Forcing a constitutional referendum while rebel forces control parts of the eastern provinces would disenfranchise millions. Conducting such a vote in a warzone risks legitimizing the de facto partition of the DRC.

By withholding strong diplomatic condemnation of Tshisekedi’s third-term ambitions, the UN, EU, and African Union abandon the Congolese people to tyranny. They send a dangerous message: democratic norms can be violated when aligned with geopolitical convenience.

The Platform of Democratic Forces (FDA) warns that the Congolese people cannot be held hostage to one man’s ambition or the cynicism of external powers. If the international community continues to ignore the cries of the Congolese people and the warnings from Catholic and Protestant churches, it will share responsibility for the political instability and potential balkanization threatening the DRC. The time to act is now—to uphold the sacred terms of the Constitution and demand an end to this disguised dictatorial transition.