27 Congo figures form coalition to stop president's 3rd term

Gbenga Bada 10:07 - 20 December 2015

Congolese politician and businessman Moise Katumbi watches as his soccer club TP Mazembe trains inside a stadium located in the Kamalondo suburb of Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, November 4, 2015.

Kabila, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office, has not commented publicly on his political ambitions despite critics' accusations that he is attempting to cling to power.

More than 27 high-profile Congolese figures, including Moise Katumbi, considered a main opposition candidate in next year's presidential polls, have formed a coalition aimed at preventing a bid from Joseph Kabila for a third term, their statement said.

"We have decided to combine our forces, our human and material resources, our strategies and our actions, to create a citizen coalition named 'Citizen Front 2016'," the statement reads.

The announcement comes as the vast central African country's parliament contemplates giving more protection from prosecution to former rulers, viewed as a way of encouraging Kabila to step down in November next year.

Africa's biggest copper producer has not had a single peaceful handover of power since independence from former colonial master Belgium in 1960.