Author: Congo Times

Madingou turns into Congo’s handball capital For ten animated days this September, the normally tranquil streets of Madingou resonate with whistles, chants and the dull thud of resin-coated balls. The Departmental capital of Bouenza, counting scarcely forty-four thousand residents, has welcomed twenty-three senior teams—fifteen men’s and eight women’s formations—from Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, Pool and the host department to compete in the inaugural “I Love Bouenza in the Literal Sense” tournament. The opening match, held on 8 September 2025 at the city’s freshly refurbished omnisport stadium, was launched by the Prefect, Colonel-Major Marcel Nganongo, under the gaze of Mayor Fortuné Pouéla and…

High-Level Mission Courts Latin America The Republic of Congo has entered a decisive phase in its campaign to steer Firmin Édouard Matoko toward the helm of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. After a constructive stop in Santiago, Minister of State Pierre Mabiala—who also oversees Land Affairs and relations with Parliament—led a delegation to Asunción, the Paraguayan capital, on 10 September. By deploying a ministerial envoy rather than a purely diplomatic team, Brazzaville signalled that the race for UNESCO is not a routine posting but a priority dossier under the direct guidance of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. The…

A partnership reaffirmed in Beijing The echo of the red-carpet welcome extended to President Denis Sassou Nguesso in Beijing still reverberates in Brazzaville’s chancelleries. At a press briefing held on 11 September, China’s ambassador An Qing portrayed the visit as the latest chapter in a relationship that has grown from an early strategic partnership in 2016 to what she called a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership”. By revisiting the milestones—President Xi Jinping’s 2013 tour, the elevation of ties in 2016 and the recent ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War—the envoy sketched a continuum of…

A local initiative with nationwide resonance The narrow, sun-drenched streets of Djiri, Brazzaville’s ninth arrondissement, have found a new rhythm since the Ministry of Territorial Administration officially launched the revision of the national electoral register. At the heart of this effervescence stands the “Dynamique Jeunesse de Djiri”, a civic platform steered by Samarange Gordani Poukouo, whose volunteers weave through courtyards and kiosks urging neighbours to seize what they describe as a “historic window” for influence. “We invite every young person to enrol so that the next ballot will echo their aspirations,” Poukouo told our newsroom during an evening debrief on…

Brazzaville positions itself at the centre of fiscal debate The cavernous conference hall of the ministry compound in downtown Brazzaville filled early on 9 September, as delegates from fifteen African administrations and three European observer missions took their seats. With the Prime Minister on overseas duty, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Paul Valentin Ngobo assumed the mantle of the opening address, underscoring that Africa’s growth narrative now hinges less on external borrowing and more on the fine-tuning of domestic taxation. His choice of words—“an adapted fiscal architecture for the challenges we face”—set the tone for two days of uncompromising…

Momentum builds around the Majority Elephant platform Less than half a year separates the Republic of Congo from its next presidential election and, in Brazzaville, the mood is unmistakably pre-electoral. Party headquarters have resumed late-night meetings, itinerant caravans and the finely tuned choreography of candidate positioning. Within the ruling majority, preparations crystallise around an organism whose very name evokes mass and steadiness: the Elephant platform. On 27 May, leaders of the parties allied to President Denis Sassou Nguesso adopted core texts—statutes and internal regulations—while renewing their pledge to work for his re-election. Their decision to retain the Elephant as logo…

Regional momentum gathers in Brazzaville Inside a conference room overlooking the Congo River, Minister of State for Public Service, Labour and Social Security Firmin Ayessa formally opened, on 9 September in Brazzaville, a seminar charged with validating the revised accounting framework and performance indicators of the Inter-African Conference on Social Security, better known by its French acronym CIPRES. The three-day meeting brings together senior officials from national social-security institutions, finance controllers and actuarial experts determined to refine a tool deemed crucial for the financial health of the region’s provident funds. The minister noted that social-protection activities within the CIPRES zone…

Historical Resonance of the Anti-Fascist Struggle Speaking to Xinhua ahead of the victory-day commemorations in Beijing, President Denis Sassou Nguesso invoked the moral legacy of the Second World War to underscore China’s place in contemporary geopolitics. “Let us imagine, even for a moment, that fascism and Nazism had prevailed,” he reflected, noting that the People’s Republic “paid a heavy price to defeat those ideologies and has since become indispensable to the peace of the world”. He reminded listeners that Africa, too, forfeited “hundreds of thousands of lives” in that conflict. Congolese soldiers, he recalled, braved the Sahara and the Mediterranean…

Brazzaville Seizes the Baton of Regional Integration Central Africa’s institutional calendar marks a new chapter as the Republic of Congo prepares to steer the Union Économique de l’Afrique Centrale. On 10 September in Bangui, Minister of Economy, Planning, Statistics and Regional Integration Ludovic Ngatsé is scheduled to assume the rotating presidency of the UEAC Council of Ministers. In parallel, the summit of Heads of State will entrust President Denis Sassou Nguesso with the chairmanship of the CEMAC Conference, symbolically aligning national and regional leadership at a moment of renewed impetus for integration. A Dual Mandate: UEAC Council and PREF-CEMAC Oversight…

Ministerial pledge marks decisive milestone The Republic of Congo’s drive to upgrade its educational landscape has entered a decisive phase. On 7 September in Brazzaville, Minister of Preschool, Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy Jean Luc Mouthou assured that every school facility currently under construction or rehabilitation will be delivered before the opening of the 2025-2026 academic year. His statement, made during an extensive inspection tour of worksites, positions the forthcoming deadline as both a logistical objective and a symbol of governmental commitment to human-capital development. Strategic roadmap for modern learning environments The minister’s itinerary took him to the Ngamakosso neighbourhood…