Published: June 2026
A wave of political unrest has hit the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), turning the streets of Kinshasa into a battleground. Security forces deployed tear gas and live ammunition to break up a massive sit-in outside the parliament building. The demonstration, organized by a broad opposition alliance known as Coalition Article 64 (C64), was called to protest controversial legislative moves that critics say are designed to strip away presidential term limits.
The clashes have already resulted in numerous injuries, including high-profile opposition leaders and former presidential contenders.
The Spark: Scrapping Term Limits
The immediate catalyst for the unrest was the National Assembly passing a bill that paves the way for a public referendum to alter the country’s constitution.
Opposition leaders—including former presidential candidates Martin Fayulu and Moïse Katumbi—argue that the underlying motive of these changes is to allow current President Félix Tshisekedi to bypass constitutional restrictions and run for a third term in office.
What is Coalition Article 64? Named after the article in the Congolese constitution that charges citizens with the duty to defeat any individual who seeks to hold power in violation of the constitutional order, the coalition represents a united front of civil society and political opposition.
Violence Outside Parliament and Political Figures Injured
Eyewitness accounts and reports from the ground paint a chaotic picture of the dawn deployment outside parliament. Heavy contingents of police, military forces, and ruling-party militants blocked access to the area before the sit-in could fully materialize.
As demonstrators gathered, the situation rapidly escalated:
- Escalation: Protesters reportedly threw rocks as security forces advanced, utilizing heavy tear gas and firing live rounds into the crowd.
- Political Casualties: Jean-Baptiste Kasekwa, a prominent member of Fayulu’s political party, confirmed that multiple protestors and key political figures sustained injuries.
- Targeted Violence: The communication team for prominent opposition figure and former presidential candidate Delly Sesanga reported via social media that he was shot in the leg during the chaos.
Government officials have not immediately provided a full comment on the use of live ammunition, though police on the scene maintained that security forces acted strictly to restore public order.
What This Means for Congo’s Future
The DRC has a long, turbulent history regarding the democratic transfer of power. For many citizens, the memory of previous political crises sparked by leaders attempting to cling to power past their mandate remains incredibly fresh.
If President Tshisekedi pushes forward with the constitutional referendum despite massive public blowback, the current unrest in Kinshasa could simply be the opening salvo of a much larger, prolonged nationwide crisis. International observers are already calling for restraint, but with opposition leaders literally in the line of fire, the path toward a peaceful resolution is narrower than ever.
We will continue to update this post as more details emerge from Kinshasa.
What are your thoughts on the unfolding situation in the DRC? Let us know in the comments below.
