Wednesday, September 21, 2016 - The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is in the midst of a protracted political crisis as President Joseph Kabila manoeuvres to stay in power past the end of his second term, which expires this December. Read more

On Monday, September 19th, the Congolese people organized protests throughout the country to call on president Joseph Kabila to respect the country's constitution and cede power on December 19th when his second and final term expires. The response from the regime was deadly. Kabila's security forces killed at least 44 people, injured scores and jailed hundreds.

A deadly crackdown is underway whereby youth are pursued in a house-to-house hunt, arrest warrants have been issued for opposition political figures, political party headquarters have been ransacked and burned and more violence against the protestors is predicted. Congolese youth in particular are in need of our support.

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October 16 - 22, 2016

Join Friends of the Congo and people worldwide for Congo Week IX. During Congo Week, a wide range of organizations throughout the globe will commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Congo conflict while showcasing Congolese culture and what Congo has contributed to the global community.

Click here to find out more about Congo Week and how you can participate.

The DRC's Constitution limits the office of Presidency to two five-year terms. Joseph Kabila, the current DRC president's second five-year term (2011-2016) will expire on December 19, 2016, however, members of his party have argued for changing the constitution so that Kabila can run for a third term. Civil society groups, opposition parties, the catholic Church, notable figures in the DRC and others have successfully resisted changes to the constitution or the electoral laws that would legitimize Kabila's stay in power beyond the end of his second term.

In response to the staunch resistance, Joseph Kabila has opted to pursue a strategy of "glissement" (a French word that means slippage). His government has sought to prevent elections from being organized that would result in a new president and new administration. The rationale behind this strategy is that if no elections are organized, then Kabila would remain in power until such date that elections are organized. The fact that he has opted to follow this strategy of last resort is because almost all other avenues for his remaining in power have been blocked by the Congolese people. The main question now is whether the people can usher Kabila out of power in order to facilitate a transition to a new administration. Find out more about the battle for a peaceful transition of power in the DRC>>