Fatshimetry
The province of South Kivu has recently come alive with citizen movements and civil society organizations demonstrating against any attempt to revise the constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This demonstration, which took place in the streets of Bukavu, brought together the region’s strong forces, determined to defend the integrity of the country’s fundamental law.
Wearing banners loudly proclaiming “Don’t touch my constitution. No to the revision of the constitution”, the demonstrators clearly and strongly expressed their opposition to any modification of the constitution. In a memorandum addressed to the president, these actors highlighted the dangers of constitutional revision in this period of crisis and instability.
For these active forces, the constitution represents the fundamental law of a country, an essential pillar of governance and stability. Modifying the constitution without valid reason would risk further weakening the already precarious social and political fabric of the DRC. The current situation, marked by multiple crises and a state of siege in certain provinces, hardly seems conducive to a constitutional revision.
Elvis Mupenda, one of the demonstrators, stressed that it is not the constitution which is responsible for the ills of the DRC, but rather the bad governance and instability plaguing the country. Modifying the Basic Law will not resolve these deep and structural problems, but on the contrary risks making them worse.
This citizen mobilization was made possible thanks to the commitment of the citizen movement Bloc united pour le développement du Congo as well as other civil society organizations in South Kivu. These actors united their voices to defend the integrity of the constitution and remind those in power of the importance of respecting the supreme law of the country.
In conclusion, the demonstration against the revision of the constitution in the DRC demonstrates the mobilization and determination of citizens to defend the democratic principles and institutions of their country. Let us hope that this citizen approach will contribute to strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the Democratic Republic of Congo.