Civil society groups warn against Congo referendum

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 65 civil society organisations are urging President Félix Tshisekedi to abandon plans for a constitutional referendum.

In a memorandum sent Monday to the president and the country’s main institutions, the groups say the security, humanitarian and economic crises make a referendum a poor use of resources.

They point to the war in the east, the suffering of millions of displaced people, and worsening living conditions, warning that the proposed law could be seen as a first step toward changing the Constitution and could deepen political tensions.

The organisations, including No to Constitutional Change, Civil Bridge, Génération Z RDC, LUCHA-RDC and Filimbi, are calling on Tshisekedi to focus instead on stability and the country’s urgent needs.

But the president’s party, the UDPS, says a legal framework for a referendum is needed to fill a legal gap and set out the rules for exercising popular sovereignty.

The debate has become another flashpoint in a country already facing war in the east and severe social and economic hardship.