Author: Congo Times

A Convergence of Public Policy and Private Vision Inside a sun-bathed hall of the National School of Administration in Brazzaville, thirty women and two men rose one after another on 6 August 2025 to collect certificates that symbolise far more than academic diligence. Their graduation from the Genius incubation programme, curated by the National Chamber of Women Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs of Congo (CNFCEEC) under the stewardship of Flavie Lombo, marks a strategic alignment between public policy and private sector dynamism. In attendance were Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo and the United Nations Development Programme’s resident…

Diplomatic accreditation opens a new chapter When Mariavittoria Ballotta handed her letters of credence to Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso in late October, the brief ceremonial moment carried implications well beyond protocol. It signalled a recalibration of the long-standing partnership between Brazzaville and the United Nations Children’s Fund, a partnership that President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s administration has often characterised as “strategic for inclusive development” (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2023). The government’s reception, courteous yet task-oriented, underscored an expectation that the new Representative will translate UNICEF’s global mandate into concrete national gains, particularly as the Republic of Congo pursues the objectives of…

A National Festivity Under Presidential Patronage Dawn on 14 August 2025 found Brazzaville’s Boulevard Alfred Raoul transformed into a vibrant ribbon of spectators, flags and percussion ensembles. In keeping with a tradition established after the 2015 All-Africa Games, the half-marathon was selected as the sporting centrepiece of the Independence Day festivities. The honour of firing the starter’s pistol fell to President Denis Sassou Nguesso, whose brief remarks praised “youthful excellence and collective endurance”—a phrase swiftly echoed across state media (Agence d’Information d’Afrique Centrale). The meticulous organisation overseen by the Ministry of Sports and the municipal authority resulted in a route…

A historic commemoration under gathering clouds Speaking from Brazzaville on 14 August 2025, President Denis Sassou-Nguesso marked the Republic of Congo’s 65th year of sovereignty with a leitmotif that resonated beyond national borders: peace can no longer be taken for granted in a world characterised by proliferating armed conflicts. His televised remarks, broadcast simultaneously on radio, were delivered in the measured cadence that has come to define his oratory since his return to power in 1997. “We celebrate our independence while peace is dangerously threatened by the recurrence of armed conflicts,” he cautioned, pointing to theatres of violence stretching from…

A Sudden Narrowing of the Field When the Independent Electoral Commission of the Congolese Handball Federation, chaired by Tunisian jurist Mouadh Ben Zaied, released its provisional verdict on candidate eligibility, the sporting public was caught off guard. Of the two declared lists, only that headed by former national team player Linda Ambroisine Noumazalayi Ebendzé was deemed compliant. The ticket led by departmental league president Avicenne Cléoface Nzikou Bigoundou was invalidated for missing documentation concerning four running mates, a technicality almost invisible to the casual observer yet decisive under the federation’s statutes. In the absence of fresh nominations—the submission window having…

A Constitution Forged in the Lessons of 2015 The current Basic Law of the Republic of Congo was promulgated in 2015 after a national referendum that replaced the 2002 text and reset presidential term limits. At the time, the government defended the revision as a means to adapt institutions to new socio-economic realities while guaranteeing alternation through a two-round electoral system. International observers from the African Union and ECCAS noted general calm at the polls, although certain Western chancelleries voiced reservations about turnout figures. Six years on, the constitutional architecture has proven resilient in steering legislative and local elections despite…

A Trans-River Legacy of Concord Few waterways possess as much symbolic weight in Central Africa as the Congo River, whose majestic sweep keeps Kinshasa and Brazzaville—only a handful of kilometres apart—within constant visual embrace. From both banks, the independence of the Republic of Congo, solemnly celebrated on 15 August, remains an annual litmus test for regional amity. Into this ritual steps Me Kalala Muena Mpala, an eminent Katangese lawyer and veteran champion of Pan-African ideals, whose public interventions have consistently highlighted the need for durable harmony between the two capitals (Jeune Afrique, 2024). Kalala’s commitment to cross-river fraternity dovetails with…

A Symbol Born of Nation-Building Since its formalisation by Decree n° 85-1410 in December 1985, the Coupe du Congo has operated as more than an annual sporting fixture; it has been a civic ritual entwined with the 15 August independence celebrations. Successive finals, traditionally presided over by the Head of State or his envoy, have reinforced the event’s role as a unifier, portraying football as a soft-power instrument capable of melding regional identities into a single national narrative (UNESCO report on Sport and Peace, 2023). The competition’s post-civil-war relaunch in 2000 symbolised societal renewal. Classics between AC Léopards, Diables Noirs,…

Ceremony Signals a New Chapter for the CSLC The polished marble hall of Brazzaville’s Supreme Court provided a solemn backdrop on 13 August as ten of the eleven commissioners of the Conseil supérieur de la liberté de communication raised their right hands and pledged to safeguard the nation’s information space. In the presence of Chief Justice Henri Bouka, the officials vowed to exercise their duties “with impartiality and in conformity with the Constitution”—an oath that, in the Congolese legal culture, confers both moral responsibility and judicial accountability. By choosing the courtroom rather than a ministerial venue, state authorities placed the…

A Strategic Recalibration of Territorial Governance With the promulgation of Decree 2025-87 on 31 March 2025, President Denis Sassou Nguesso completed a comprehensive overhaul of Congo-Brazzaville’s territorial administration. Fifteen prefects—ten confirmed veterans and five newcomers—now preside over the nation’s departments. A second decree, signed on 6 May 2025, installed an equal number of secretaries-general, the technocratic backbone of departmental offices. According to the Ministry of Territorial Administration, the two texts operationalise the 2019 organic law on decentralisation, which prioritises proximity between state services and citizens (Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 2 April 2025). In Brazzaville’s diplomatic circles, the appointments are interpreted…