The “Patriotes Engagés” movement recently emerged in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, showing growing civic unrest against attempts to amend the constitution. This movement, led by determined young people, is taking to the streets of the eastern city, urging the population to reject these reform projects.
This mobilization highlights the tensions between the desire for political change and the urgent need to end the war that persists in the region. While some politicians defend the need for a constitution adapted to the current situation in the country, many residents believe that the priority lies elsewhere.
In a context marked by insecurity and economic difficulties, residents express more concrete expectations: restoring security, stabilizing the dollar exchange rate. For many Congolese, these are the daily issues that take precedence, much more than constitutional debates.
The proposal to amend the constitution, put forward by President Félix Tshisekedi, has sparked strong opposition across the country. While the ruling party is trying to reassure the population about the legitimacy of this approach, protests persist and intensify.
In Goma, where tensions are exacerbated by the persistence of violence linked to the conflict in the province of North Kivu, voices are multiplying to denounce a possible instrumentalization of the political agenda at the expense of national security.
This complex situation illustrates the challenges facing the Democratic Republic of Congo. Between citizen aspirations, security issues and political considerations, the debate around the constitution reflects the fractures and deep expectations of Congolese society.
Ultimately, beyond political debates, it is the essential concerns of citizens that must be taken into account to respond to the current emergencies of the country. A balanced approach between institutional reforms and concrete responses to the needs of the population appears to be the way forward to build a more stable and prosperous future in the Democratic Republic of Congo.