Democratic Republic of Congo opposition leader Delly Sesanga says authorities have barred him from leaving the country and seized his passport, a move he denounces as political intimidation amid a fierce battle over proposed constitutional changes.

Sesanga, a former minister and ex-lawmaker who heads the Envol party, is one of the most prominent figures in the C64 coalition, a broad alliance formed to resist efforts to revise the constitution. The coalition accuses President Felix Tshisekedi’s camp of seeking to engineer a “constitutional coup” that would allow the head of state to extend his stay in power beyond the current two-term limit.

Parliament recently adopted a bill paving the way for a referendum on constitutional reform, more than two years before the next presidential election. Under the existing charter, Tshisekedi’s second five-year term is meant to be his last. Opposition parties, civil society groups and several constitutional scholars warn that reopening the text now risks dismantling hard-won safeguards against authoritarian rule.

Sesanga told reporters he was stopped at Kinshasa’s international airport as he attempted to board a flight to Europe for medical treatment. Border officials confiscated his passport and informed him he was subject to a travel ban, he said, without providing him with any written decision or formal charges. A source familiar with the incident confirmed his account.

The Congolese news agency, citing a judicial source, reported that Sesanga is under investigation, though no details of the alleged offences have been made public. Sesanga insists he has not been notified of any legal proceedings and describes the move as arbitrary and unlawful.

The travel ban follows a violently dispersed opposition march in Kinshasa, where protesters rallied against the planned referendum. Security forces and pro-government activists clashed with demonstrators, leaving several opposition figures, including Sesanga, injured. The UN human rights office condemned the killing of at least one protester and urged Congolese authorities to respect freedoms of expression and assembly.

Opposition groups say the treatment of Sesanga is part of a broader pattern of shrinking political space, citing arrests, harassment and restrictions on demonstrations. Despite the pressure, the C64 coalition has vowed to press ahead with another protest in Kinshasa, framing the constitutional fight as a decisive test for the country’s fragile democracy.