Opposition leader banned from leaving country

An opposition leader in the DRC says he has been banned from leaving the country and stripped of his passport, condemning it as ‘intimidation’ amid tensions with the government, reports africanews. Delly Sesanga, who heads the Envol party and is an ex-Minister and former lawmaker, is a leading member of a new coalition against moves to amend the Constitution paving the way to allow the President to stay in power. More than two years before the DRC next holds presidential polls, a Bill on the organisation of a referendum on constitutional reform was adopted by Parliament this month. It could open the door to a third term in office for President Felix Tshisekedi, whose second and – under the current iron-clad rules – final five-year mandate ends in December 2028. An opposition rally in the capital Kinshasa on 12 June to denounce an attempted ‘constitutional coup’ was suppressed. Several opposition figures, including Sesanga, were wounded during clashes with pro-government activists and the police. Another rally is planned for 8 July. Sesanga is part of the C64 (Coalition Article 64) set up in May to oppose the presidential move. The Congolese news agency quoted a judicial source as saying that a judicial investigation against Sesanga was under way. Sesanga, who said he was hurt in the legs during the demonstration, said he had been trying to travel to Europe for medical reasons.

Full africanews report