# DR Congo's constitutional court backs referendum law, opening a path to President Tshisekedi's third term
> The Democratic Republic of Congo's constitutional court approved a referendum law on July 28, clearing a legal route to amend a constitution that currently bars Presidents from serving more than two terms; President Felix Tshisekedi, 63, is due to end his second and constitutionally final term in late 2028; opposition lawmakers and civil society groups condemned the ruling as an attack on constitutional safeguards

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-28 · heads: 誰が決めるのか, 語られていないこと · 3 takes · 3 lenses · 3 regions

## Summary

The Democratic Republic of Congo's constitutional court approved a referendum law on July 28, a ruling critics say clears the legal path for President Felix Tshisekedi to seek a third term after his second and currently final mandate ends in late 2028. DR Congo's constitution as written bars revision of the number and length of presidential terms. The referendum law, if enacted, would allow a popular vote to amend those limits. Tshisekedi came to power in 2019 after a disputed election and was re-elected in 2023. The opposition condemned the ruling as unconstitutional and an attack on democratic safeguards. The court's decision comes as [Drc](/ja/entity/drc) faces the M23 insurgency in the east backed by [Rwanda](/ja/entity/rwanda), a growing [コンゴ民主共和国のエボラ出血熱が3,200例・死者1,405人に急増、10日間で1,000例を記録](/ja/n/drc-ebola-3200-0727) outbreak, and deep fiscal pressure.

## The split

West African and pan-African outlets framed the ruling primarily as a democratic backslide, stressing the constitutional prohibition on term-limit revision. Uganda's New Vision emphasized the factual timeline, leaving the political judgment implicit. The ruling appears to have received limited pickup outside sub-Saharan Africa; no Western government response appeared in the feed docs.

## By the numbers

- 2028, year Tshisekedi's second and currently final term ends
- 2019, year Tshisekedi first came to power, after a disputed election
- 2, presidential terms the DRC constitution limits presidents to
- 63, Tshisekedi's age at the time of the ruling

## Why it matters

Term-limit erosion has become a common governance pattern across central and west Africa over the past decade, typically pursued through constitutional amendments or referendum laws approved by courts aligned with the executive. If DRC follows that path, it would remove the clearest institutional constraint on Tshisekedi's hold on power at a moment when the country's security and health crises make stable leadership transitions more important, not less.

## What to watch

- Whether opposition parties mount a legal challenge to the referendum law and which courts hear it
- Whether the African Union or the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights comment on the ruling's compatibility with the African Charter on Democracy
- Whether Tshisekedi publicly endorses running for a third term or distances himself from the referendum process

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### West African independent press, Africa-first framing
- **Daily Trust Nigeria** (Nigeria, en) — Daily Trust was the earliest verified report, noting the DRC constitutional court approved the referendum law and quoting critics who said it paved the way for Tshisekedi to seek a third term; it framed the ruling in the context of DRC's constitution stating the number of presidential terms 'cannot be revised.'
  > "The Democratic Republic of Congo's constitutional court on Tuesday approved a referendum law that critics say could pave the way for President Felix Tshisekedi to seek a third term."
  Source: https://dailytrust.com/drc-court-ruling-opens-path-to-tshisekedi-third-term/

### Pan-African broadcaster, citing opposition criticism and security context
- **Africanews** (Pan-Africa, en) — Africanews provided the most contextual account, noting the opposition strongly criticized the reform as undermining constitutional safeguards and placing the ruling in the wider context of DRC's compounding crises: the Rwanda-backed M23 insurgency in the east and a growing Ebola outbreak.
  > "The opposition has strongly criticized the reform, arguing that it could undermine constitutional safeguards. The debate comes as the country faces mounting security challenges."
  Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/07/29/dr-congo-court-approves-referendum-law-fueling-third-term-debate/

### Ugandan state-affiliated daily, neighboring-country perspective
- **New Vision Uganda** (Uganda, en) — New Vision reported the ruling with key biographical context: Tshisekedi came to power in 2019, his second and under current rules final five-year mandate ends in late 2028, and the DRC constitution explicitly states the number and length of presidential terms cannot be revised.
  > "President Felix Tshisekedi, 63, came to power in 2019, and his second and under the current rules final five-year mandate is due to end in late 2028. DR Congo's constitution states the number and length of presidential terms cannot be revised."
  Source: https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/world/dr-congo-court-backs-law-that-could-open-door-NV_237878_072026

## Across the graph
- Related: [[drc-tshisekedi-dialogue-0723]], [[drc-conflict-dossier]]
- Entities: Drc, Felix Tshisekedi, African Union

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