DRC Church Leaders Push Constitutional Reform Debate Forward

Debate over constitutional reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo intensified this week after senior religious leaders publicly backed major institutional changes while the country’s media regulator urged restraint in public discourse. According to a report by Actualite.cd, Archbishop Ejiba Yamapia called for a complete overhaul of the 2006 Constitution during a press briefing in Kinshasa.

The president of the Congo Revival Church described the current constitutional framework as a “Constitution of belligerence,” arguing that it was shaped by the post-conflict political arrangements that followed the Sun City agreement. He said the country now needed a new constitutional model focused on development, sovereignty and stronger executive authority.

Yamapia proposed moving toward a more presidential system, saying repeated parliamentary no-confidence motions weaken governance and slow the implementation of public policies. He also called for changes in the appointment process for provincial governors to reduce institutional tensions between provincial assemblies and the executive branch.

The DRC’s current constitutional system was adopted in 2006 after transitional negotiations following years of armed conflict and political instability, according to the International IDEA constitution database.

On economic governance, the archbishop argued that the Constitution should require local processing of raw materials before export and safeguard funding for free education and primary healthcare.

He also defended stricter eligibility rules for access to sovereign state functions, including the presidency and key ministries, saying such positions should remain reserved for Congolese citizens born to Congolese parents.

The constitutional debate has increasingly divided sections of the Revival Church and broader religious community. Earlier this week, the president of the Higher Council for Audiovisual and Communication (CSAC), Christian Bosembe, warned religious leaders against using faith-based platforms to spread insults or inflammatory remarks that could undermine public order or national cohesion.

According to local reporting, the regulator said legal measures could be taken against broadcasters that violate existing regulations.

Tensions escalated after Pastor Moïse Mbiye criticized fellow church leaders supporting al change, accusing some of becoming more involved in politics than religious ministry. The exchanges have highlighted the growing role of religious figures in one of the country’s most sensitive political discussions ahead of future institutional debates.