AFRICA/CONGO DR - Constitutional Amendment: Kinshasa looks at what is happening in Ouagadougou

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - The events in Burkina Faso, where President Blaise Compaoré has been forced to relinquish power after 27 years of uninterrupted power, are closely observed throughout Africa, and in particular in those countries where there is the attempt (as that attempted by Compaoré and then failed) to amend the Constitution to allow the Head of State in office to obtain a third presidential term.
This is the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where President Joseph Kabila has proposed to amend Article 220 of the Constitution in order to present himself again in the 2016 election. His project has sparked strong protests of the opposition, civil society, of the local church (see Fides 17/09/2014) and some foreign Countries (like the US and Germany).
Even among the members of the coalition supporting Kabila there are those who oppose the constitutional amendment, such as the MP Jean-Claude Muyambo, a native of Kolwezi in Katanga, the southern Congolese province famous for its secessionist attempt in the '60s, rich in copper and cobalt. During a visit to South Africa, Muyambo said that the DRC needs stable and democratic institutions, and that the constitutional amendment puts them at risk. "South Africans are about to make significant investments in our Country. If there are riots, their investment will disappear", he warned.
According to a note sent to Agenzia Fides, the leaders of the central prison in Kinshasa seized the televisions placed in cells to prevent inmates to follow the events in Ouagadougou, for fear of stirring up riots. A delegation from the presidential majority was in the capital of Burkina Faso to observe the strategy of President Compaoré to impose the constitutional amendment. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 03/11/2014)