The ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) held marches across several provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo to support President Félix Tshisekedi, a proposed referendum law and a national dialogue initiative.
The demonstrations were organized under the leadership of Augustin Kabuya, the party’s interim president and secretary-general, on September 22. The UDPS called on its supporters, allied political parties, civil society organizations, religious groups and student movements to participate, according to Mediacongo.
In Kinshasa, demonstrators gathered at the party’s headquarters in the Limete district before marching along a route approved by the authorities. Participants carried messages supporting national institutions, the referendum process and the dialogue proposed by Tshisekedi.
The mobilization was also reported in Matadi, Lubumbashi, Kananga, Kindu, Gungu and Mbuji-Mayi. Memoranda were read and submitted to provincial authorities. The demonstrations took place under police supervision, with no major incidents reported during the initial stages.
UDPS officials called off the event in Kisangani, capital of Tshopo province, citing public-health concerns because of an Ebola outbreak. A similar decision was reported in Gemena, the capital of Sud-Ubangi province.
The pro-government rallies followed opposition demonstrations on September 15 against constitutional changes that critics say could allow Tshisekedi to seek a third presidential term. The opposition coalition Coalition Article 64, or C64, has rejected the proposed reforms and demanded that the constitutional transfer of power scheduled for 2028 be respected. The group has also criticized Tshisekedi’s national dialogue proposal, arguing that it could be used to strengthen the president’s political position.
The National Assembly of the DRC referred the referendum bill to its Political, Administrative and Legal Committee for further review after reservations were raised by the Constitutional Court. The committee has 15 days to reconsider the text before it returns to the chamber for possible adoption.
