Tshisekedi Sets First Congress Date for Sacred Union Majority

President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo has set 30 August 2025 for the first congress of the Sacred Union of the Nation (USN), marking a new phase in the coordination of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential majority.

Meeting members of the USN Presidium on 14 August at Kinshasa’s Pullman Hotel, President Tshisekedi, the coalition’s high political authority, chaired his third such gathering in less than two weeks. The session followed the announcement of the Suminwa II government on 10 August.

Agenda and Outcomes

The meeting adopted a new charter for the coalition and its affiliated political groupings, alongside the USN’s rules of procedure. Delegates also confirmed the date for the inaugural congress, where the charter will be formally ratified.

According to officials, the congress will take place before the conclusion of ongoing peace and diplomatic processes in Doha, Washington DC, and the African Union framework.

A senior presidency official told XTRAfrica that the President’s goal is to “better coordinate and restore order within the presidential majority,” enabling the government to focus on implementing its programme without “political frustrations” from within.

Broad-Based Government

The reshuffled government unveiled in early August includes representatives from across Congo’s political spectrum as well as civil society. Presidency officials say the approach breaks with the “mixing and blending” power-sharing practices seen under former President Joseph Kabila, where armed groups often gained influence following peace agreements.

Background on the Sacred Union

The Sacred Union of the Nation is a parliamentary coalition formed in December 2020 after tensions between the Cap pour le Changement alliance and Kabila’s Front Commun pour le Congo. Led by President Tshisekedi, the USN brings together several political forces, including:

• Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS)

• Union of Mobutist Democrats (UDEMO)

• Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC)

• Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC)

• Unified Lumumbist Party (PALU)

• Alliance of Democratic Forces of Congo (AFDC)

The coalition currently commands a majority in the National Assembly.

Towards a New Political Era

During an earlier meeting on 10 August at the USN’s new headquarters in Gombe, President Tshisekedi called for greater cohesion and transparency within the coalition. The upcoming congress is expected to set a clear framework for internal governance as the DRC navigates its legislative agenda and regional peace initiatives.