Congo-Kinshasa: DRC Opposition Postpones Protest After Tshisekedi Announces National Dialogue

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying an RFI report dated 22 July 2026, says the Democratic Republic of Congo’s main opposition grouping, C64, has postponed a planned Kinshasa protest after President Félix Tshisekedi announced that a national dialogue would begin soon. The march had been called for 22 July to defend constitutional term limits and oppose any perceived effort to prolong Tshisekedi’s rule. C64 agreed to suspend the demonstration after Catholic and Protestant church leaders, who have been asked to help facilitate the talks, requested restraint.

The postponement is conditional. According to the report, opposition officials have given Tshisekedi and the churches until 15 August to open the dialogue, and they warned that government action they see as provocative could trigger renewed mobilisation. A key concern is a referendum bill passed in June that opponents fear could enable constitutional changes. Tshisekedi, in office since 2019, is serving a second term scheduled to end in 2028; the current Constitution limits presidents to two five-year terms.

RFI reported that Tshisekedi announced the dialogue after meeting religious representatives on 17 July, with the presidency framing it as a way to strengthen national cohesion amid political tensions and worsening conflict in eastern DRC. Major details remain unsettled, including the venue, participant list and the mediators’ mandate. It is also unclear whether armed groups would be represented; Corneille Nangaa of the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23, has rejected the proposal, while separate Doha talks with rebels continue.

The decision has highlighted divisions in the opposition, including criticism from figures linked to Joseph Kabila’s and Moïse Katumbi’s circles. It follows a tense period for protests: RFI cited a 12 June Kinshasa opposition rally that was dispersed, with injuries reported and the UN saying at least one protester was killed.