Mgr Donatien Nshole, secrétaire général de la Cenco

The National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), representing the Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has issued a forceful declaration, condemning any attempts to amend the constitution enacted on February 18, 2006. The Church warns that tampering with the constitution’s entrenched articles could plunge the nation into “enormous risks, including balkanization.”

The Catholic Church is taking an increasingly firm stance against any political maneuvering to alter the fundamental law. In a publicly released statement, Mgr Donatien Nshole, serving as CENCO’s spokesperson, explicitly denounced efforts he sees as designed to “secure an additional term for the current President of the Republic.”

CENCO views this initiative as a direct threat to “a historic political compromise, painstakingly achieved after all the crises the country has endured since independence.” The episcopate specifically targets the recently passed referendum law, which it believes was enacted “under the guise of filling a legal void.”

According to Mgr Donatien Nshole, this new legislation could pave the way for a popular consultation that would unconstitutionally allow changes to “intangible provisions already protected by Article 220.”

The CENCO spokesperson emphasized that Article 220, which safeguards crucial elements such as the number and duration of presidential terms, “stands as a vital bulwark against dictatorship and the privatization of the state.” The Church’s grave concern also extends to the potential ramifications. Mgr Donatien Nshole unequivocally stated that “any forceful push in this direction carries enormous risks, including the balkanization of the country.” He further expressed apprehension about the “outbreak of another civil war,” particularly within a climate where “political rivalries are increasingly taking on ethnic and tribal dimensions.”

Following what it describes as a “deep discernment,” CENCO asserts that it perceives “neither the necessity, nor the urgency, nor the opportunity for constitutional change.”

For the Catholic Church, the paramount priorities for the Democratic Republic of Congo remain “peace, the social well-being of the Congolese people, unity, and national cohesion.”