Author: Emmanuel Mavinga

Brazzaville ceremony highlights diplomatic openings In the quiet grandeur of the Palais du Peuple, President Denis Sassou Nguesso received on 22 December the credentials of three new ambassadors—Mathurin Boungou for Gabon, Hopelong Uushona Iipinge for Namibia and Mesfin Gebremaria Shawo for Ethiopia. The audience, steeped in diplomatic ritual, formalised their accreditation and marked the starting point of mandates explicitly geared toward deepening bilateral cooperation with the Republic of the Congo (Presidential Press Office, 22 December). Each envoy arrived with a portfolio shaped by the priorities of their capitals and the expectations of Brazzaville’s foreign-policy doctrine, which emphasises stability, economic diversification…

A First Plenary for the Newly Elected Commissioners For four concentrated days, from 22 to 25 September 2025, the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Congo (CNDH) held its inaugural ordinary session at the institution’s headquarters in Brazzaville. Chaired by its president, Casimir Ndomba, the gathering marked the first occasion on which the commissioners, elected in May, have deliberated as a full body. The atmosphere in the plenary hall was described by participants as both “studious and solemn”, an observation that matched the weight of the agenda: the adoption of the commission’s foundational texts and the crafting of…

Diplomatic Tourism as a Vector of Soft Power Few bilateral dossiers illustrate the changing grammar of South–South relations as vividly as the emerging tourism dialogue between the Republic of Congo and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In a recent audience at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brazzaville, Ambassador Laura Evangelia Suárez underscored the “necessity of embedding Venezuelan tour operators in the Nabemba Tourism Expo 2025 platform so that Caracas can participate from an informed, operational standpoint.” Her wording, carefully calibrated, reflects a broader diplomatic calculus: tourism is not merely an industry; it is an instrument of soft power, reputational…

The Viral Political Rumor As Kenya approaches its 2027 general elections, political climates are rife with speculation and rumors. Recently, a purported front page of The Standard newspaper circulated widely, suggesting that Rigathi Gachagua, former deputy president, refused to serve under Fred Matiang’i as deputy. This front page, however, has been confirmed as fake. The Claims and Controversy The spurious document featured a headline asserting, ‘Rigathi Rejects Deputy Role under Matiang’i,’ with a claim that a non-partisan political panel had favored Matiang’i for the presidency alongside Gachagua as his deputy. Allegedly dated June 3, 2025, it suggests Gachagua publicly declined…

Trump Strikes Again: Renewing the Travel Ban In a move characteristic of his previous tenure, Donald Trump has reintroduced one of his presidency’s most contentious policies: the travel ban. The announcement, delivered with typical bravado, declares 12 countries as blacklisted, including Haiti and Congo-Brazzaville, effective from June 9. According to Trump, the aim is to fortify national security by protecting Americans from foreign terrorist threats—a rationale that has ignited global criticism since the recent attack used as the spur for this decree did not originate from any of the targeted countries. The Boulder Catalyst: An Anomalous Pretext It was an…