Tshisekedi, 63, is scheduled to complete his second five-year mandate in December 2028. Under the current constitution, presidents are limited to two terms. However, a recently approved bill establishing procedures for national referendums could provide a legal mechanism for constitutional amendments, including potential changes to presidential term limits.

The legislation has cleared both chambers of parliament, where Tshisekedi’s ruling coalition holds a strong majority, and now awaits presidential approval.

Speaking at a recent news conference in Kinshasa, Tshisekedi said he was not actively seeking a third term but indicated he would be open to continuing in office if supported by voters.

“I didn’t seek a third term, but if the people want me to have a third term, I will accept,” Tshisekedi said, adding that any constitutional revision would require consultation with the Congolese public through a referendum.

The prospect of constitutional reform has generated growing political tensions in the vast Central African nation, where previous attempts by leaders to extend their rule have sparked unrest and international criticism.

Political analyst Ithiel Batumike of the Ebuteli research institute said the referendum legislation represented a significant step toward constitutional change and warned that opponents would need sustained pressure to block the initiative.

“Without sufficient pressure, those in power have no intention of stopping their plan to change the constitution,” Batumike said.

Opposition leaders argue that altering presidential term limits would weaken democratic institutions and reverse constitutional protections designed to ensure peaceful transfers of power.

Earlier this month, security forces and supporters of the ruling coalition clashed with demonstrators protesting the referendum bill in Kinshasa. Human rights organizations reported fatalities and injuries during the unrest, while authorities provided lower casualty figures and denied allegations of excessive force.

Martin Fayulu, a prominent opposition figure and former presidential candidate, accused Tshisekedi of violating the principles he pledged to uphold when taking office.

Another opposition leader, Delly Sesanga, warned that reopening debate on the constitution could threaten political stability at a time when the country faces significant security challenges.

The controversy is unfolding as government forces continue to confront the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement in eastern Congo. The insurgency has captured strategic urban centers and displaced large numbers of civilians, creating one of the country’s most serious security crises in years.

Government officials have repeatedly argued that ongoing conflict in the east could complicate preparations for future national elections. Political observers note that delaying elections because of security concerns has historically been used by some African leaders as an alternative means of extending time in office when constitutional reforms encounter resistance.

The issue carries particular historical significance in Congo, where former President Joseph Kabila abandoned efforts to prolong his rule after widespread protests and international pressure erupted over proposed electoral changes in 2015.

At the time, Tshisekedi, then an opposition leader, publicly criticized attempts to extend presidential tenure and called for respect for democratic processes.

With the referendum bill awaiting presidential approval and opposition groups planning further demonstrations, the debate over constitutional reform is likely to become a defining issue in Congolese politics ahead of the 2028 election cycle.

Speaking at the opening of the facility in Ituri province, Tedros said four patients would be discharged on Sunday, while another had left care two days earlier, highlighting signs of progress in combating the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment currently exists.

“Of course, we’re still working on vaccines and treatments but that doesn’t mean that people cannot recover from Ebola,” Tedros said.

The announcement follows confirmation by the WHO on Friday of the first documented recovery of a patient infected with the Bundibugyo virus during the current outbreak, a development health officials hope will encourage infected individuals to seek medical attention sooner.

According to the latest official figures released by the WHO, the outbreak has generated 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths in Congo. The disease has also crossed borders, with neighboring Uganda reporting nine confirmed cases and one death, according to the Ugandan Health Ministry.

Despite the opening of new facilities and the arrival of additional international assistance, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, warned on Saturday that the virus continues to outpace containment efforts. The group called for expanded testing capacity, faster deployment of health personnel and uninterrupted access for medical supplies.

Health authorities have faced growing operational challenges as some local communities resist strict disease-control measures, particularly protocols governing the handling and burial of Ebola victims. Officials say at least three attacks have been carried out against health centers during the outbreak.

Tedros emphasized the importance of community cooperation, urging residents to seek treatment immediately after symptoms appear and to participate actively in containment efforts.

“If you come to health facilities when you have symptoms, you can get the support and recover,” he said, adding that early intervention remains critical to improving survival rates.

Security concerns have further complicated the response. In Ituri, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed group linked to Daesh, along with violence involving ethnic militias, have limited access to some affected communities and disrupted medical operations.

The outbreak has also been reported in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels control several strategic urban centers, including Goma and Bukavu. The rebel movement has reported two Ebola cases in areas under its control.

Congolese health officials sought to reassure residents that the outbreak can be contained. Pierre Akilimali, incident manager at the National Institute of Public Health, said symptomatic treatment was producing encouraging results and helping patients recover.

Medical staff at the new treatment center echoed that assessment. Davin Ambitapio, a physician involved in the response, said healthcare workers remained optimistic that coordinated efforts by national authorities and international partners would eventually bring the outbreak under control.

The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in Uganda in 2007 and is one of several known Ebola virus species capable of causing severe hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in humans.

Algeria hosts its first Arab league summit since the Covid pandemic. Food security, political turmoil in Libya and Sudan and the Nile dam dispute are on the agenda. Intense fighting in DR Congo’s North Kivu province is leading to major population displacement.

And at the Second Presidential Summit on Gender Based Violence in South Africa, activists call out President Ramaphosa asking what he’s done to combat violence against women since his first summit in 2018.