Thousands of people marched peacefully through the streets of Goma on Tuesday, July 28, to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment that could remove presidential term limits and allow incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi to run for a third term.

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The protesters also condemned one-sided sanctions imposed on leaders of the AFC/M23 movement, which controls Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in eastern DR Congo.

The demonstration was organised by the Societe Civile Plurielle in North Kivu province. The organisers said the march was intended to reject the constitutional amendment project and denounce sanctions targeting AFC/M23 leaders. Similar demonstrations were also announced in Bukavu.

The protest drew large crowds across Goma, with demonstrators carrying banners and chanting slogans against the constitutional amendment proposal and the sanctions.

The demonstrations came amid continued criticism by the AFC/M23 officials on what they describe as policies by the Kinshasa government affecting residents of eastern DR Congo.

Willy Manzi, the Deputy Governor of North Kivu, said the turnout reflected growing frustration over what many residents see as unequal treatment by the international community in addressing the conflict in eastern DR Congo.

"The streets of Goma are filled with citizens making their voices heard. This public mobilization reflects growing frustration over what many perceive as a persistent double standard in the international community&039;s handling of the conflict in eastern DRC,” Manzi wrote on X.

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He questioned the rationale of imposing sanctions while negotiations aimed at ending the conflict are underway.

"If one party is engaged in dialogue, why impose sanctions during negotiations? If negotiations are intended to achieve a peaceful resolution, should they not be supported rather than weakened?” he wrote.

Manzi said lasting peace requires "a balanced and consistent approach” that encourages dialogue from all sides rather than measures that could undermine confidence in the ongoing peace process.

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Bertrand Bisimwa, the movement&039;s deputy coordinator said the Kinshasa government had subjected residents of eastern DR Congo to what he observes as "selective, negative and antisocial governance.”

"Through the closure of banks, the inhabitants of the eastern part of the country are deprived of their right to access their resources and savings. The Kinshasa regime is carrying out a punitive action against its own citizens,” Bisimwa wrote on X.

Commercial banking services in Goma and other AFC/M23-administered areas have been suspended by Kinshasa since early 2025 after the movement took control of large parts of North and South Kivu, leaving many residents unable to access their bank accounts through the national banking system.

Bisimwa also referred to reports by Africa Intelligence alleging that Kinshasa was blocking funding for the Ruzizi III hydroelectric dam project.

"The Kinshasa regime is blocking funding for the Ruzizi III hydroelectric dam project, thereby depriving millions of its citizens of access to electricity and industrial development,” he wrote.

He further accused the government of attempting to block the supply of medical products and equipment for Ebola disease response efforts in the Kivu provinces and excluding millions of residents from the national malaria control programme.

According to Bisimwa, the measures form part of what he described as a policy of social exclusion that has affected people in eastern DR Congo since January 2025.