DR Congo President Tshisekedi launches inclusive national dialogue

On 17 July 2026, President Félix‑Antoine Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced the launch of an inclusive national dialogue aimed at strengthening national cohesion and addressing the ongoing security crisis in the east of the country. The announcement followed a two‑hour meeting with leaders of the main religious communities at the African Union city in Kinshasa, where Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo declared that the President had “lifted the option” to engage the nation in a dialogue among its “sons and daughters”.

Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the President will sign a presidential ordinance, under article 69 of the Constitution, to set the terms, methodology and participation rules for the dialogue. Religious bodies, notably the Conférence épiscopale nationale du Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), will assist in organising consultations with political and civil‑society actors. Muyaya emphasized that participants must openly condemn the Rwandan‑backed aggression by the M23 rebels in the east. The dialogue will run alongside ongoing Washington and Doha peace processes and is intended to unite Congolese, reject any “balkanisation” attempts, and consolidate the front against external aggression. Opposition coalition C64 met Cardinal Ambongo the next day, expressing cautious support while maintaining demands such as the release of political prisoners. No specific date or format for the dialogue has been set, but the President thanked regional leaders from Burundi, the Republic of Congo and Angola for their diplomatic assistance.