DR Congo president hints at extending his term and delaying polls

"If the people want me to have a third term, I will accept," Tshisekedi says, with him due to step down in 2028. DR Congo leader Félix Tshisekedi hints at extending term and delaying polls Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. President Felix Tshisekedi in a grey suit and glasses DR Congo president hints at extending his term and delaying polls President Félix Tshisekedi said the timing of the next elections would depend on ending the conflict in eastern DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, dressed in a blue suit, sits in a white chair behind a lectern as he addresses a press conference, with the national flag visible behind him and members of the audience facing the podium Democratic Republic of Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi has said he may consider seeking a third term in office when his mandate expires in 2028. Tshisekedi however said any extension of his presidency would only be done by consulting the people through a referendum. The law allows a maximum of two terms. "I have not asked for a third term, but I'm telling you - if the people want me to have a third term, I will accept," he said on Wednesday. He added that the elections may not be held on schedule because of the conflict in the east of the country. M23 rebels last year seized control of swathes of the North and South Kivu regions, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu. Tshisekedi said voting could not be organised without the two regions, adding that the timing of the elections would depend on how quickly the conflict is resolved. "If we cannot end this war, unfortunately, we will not be able to hold the elections in 2028," Tshisekedi said at a press conference, just his second in the capital, Kinshasa, since being re-elected to office in 2023. The event at State House overlooking the River Congo lasted more than three hours and was attended by over 200 journalists and supporters. Congolese government forces have been battling the M23, widely believed to be backed by neighbouring Rwanda, as well as other local armed groups in eastern DR Congo for several years. Rwanda denies supporting the M23 despite overwhelming evidence and says its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups based in DR Congo. Rwanda denies supporting the M23 despite and says its military presence in the region is a defensive measure against threats posed by armed groups based in DR Congo. The US sanctioned some Rwandan army commanders in March, accusing them of fuelling the DR Congo conflict, with fighting persisting despite a US-brokered peace deal. Tshisekedi on Wednesday insisted that his priority was to restore peace through diplomacy before leaving office, but blamed Rwanda for obstructing progress. He accused Rwanda of profiting from DR Congo's rich mineral resources and dragging its feet on implementing the agreement signed in Washington in December. "It's going to take time, because Rwanda has long profited by looting resources, and that's why the negotiations are dragging on," he said. He also addressed the recent sanctioning by the US of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila, for allegedly supporting rebel groups. sanctioning by the US of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila , for allegedly supporting rebel groups. He described the situation as "a real mess", lamenting that those who were once hailed as architects of democratic change had become "gravediggers". Tshisekedi's remarks on extending his term follow recent accusations from the opposition and other groups that he was manoeuvring to stay in power beyond his two-term limit. A bill was submitted to parliament in March that seeks to set out how a referendum should be organised. Supporters frame the referendum bill as strengthening democracy, but critics see it as a calculated move to potentially revisit the legal provision that limits presidential term limits. Any amendment to the constitution must be approved by referendum called by the president, unless a bill is approved by a three-fifths majority in parliament. The opposition have warned that any attempt to amend the constitution would amount to a "constitutional coup". A close up of a pair of hands holding five bullets. What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? A young boy, in a T-shirt in the colours of the US flag, stands by an artisanal mine holding a wire sifting tray behind his shoulders in Lumumbashi in DR Congo, December 2005. How Trump wants the US to cash in on mineral-rich DR Congo's peace deal M23 fighters in fatigues and boots and holding guns sit on the back black of a pick-up truck - taken in 2023 The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica The US president hopes that a peace deal will pave the way for greater American investment in the resource-rich region. An overview of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and key facts about this central African state. President Felix Tshisekedi says he is "devastated by the tragedy of the shipwreck". The baby hippo, which has been named Bumpy, was found clinging to its lifeless mother at a lake. While passengers onboard the MV Hondius say the situation is calm, they face days at sea as officials warn the disease may have spread. Sudan's foreign minister says Ethiopia and UAE has chosen the "wrong path" and would regret it. DNA tests are underway to confirm whether remains found inside the crocodile match that of a missing man. Two cases of the virus, which rarely spreads between humans, have been confirmed on the ship, and three people have died.