Opposition rejects Félix Tshisekedi's proposed national dialogue

Félix Tshisekedi's proposed national dialogue has been rejected before it has begun. The Congolese president announced on August 27 that consultations would seek common solutions to the country's crises, particularly insecurity in the east.

Tshisekedi presented the initiative as a process starting from the provinces. Consultations would take place in provincial capitals before a final phase in Kinshasa. Congolese from across the political and social spectrum, including the diaspora, would be invited, although armed groups would be excluded. The president also said the talks would not challenge the country's institutions and would last no more than three months.

The Article 64 Coalition, known as C64, says those conditions do not amount to a genuinely inclusive national dialogue. It describes the consultations as a diversion and is demanding a consensual framework with guarantees that all relevant voices can participate.

The coalition also wants the process to address what it calls the deep causes of the country's security, political and social crises. It maintains its opposition to any constitutional revision that could, in its view, allow Tshisekedi to remain in power beyond 2028.

The initiative is being examined in a discussion featuring Patrick Matata Makalamba, a national deputy and member of Tshisekedi's UDPS party; Jean-Baptiste Muhindo Kasekwa, a former deputy from North Kivu and opposition politician; and political scientist Alidor Tshibanda.