ABSTRACT
Democratic mobilisation against attempts to remove presidential term limits has flourished in Africa over the last decade. In this chapter, we discuss the causes and political effects of the popular unrest of January 2015 against President Joseph Kabila's move to extend his tenure of office. We start depicting the key features of the Congolese political system and how it creates opportunities and constraints for mobilisation. We also review other factors behind the triggering of the protest. We then show how the threat of new popular uprising led to political reconfiguration and a strengthening of the security apparatus. A special attention is given to the influence of international actors on the conditions for mobilisation as well as on the political outcome of the protest. Ultimately, we conclude that causes as well as consequences of protest in DRC remain deeply intertwined with neo-patrimonial politics and international strategies.
