Author: Emmanuel Mbala

Crowds Signal Enduring Popular Appeal From the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire to the forested north-western town of Ouesso by way of Dolisie, President Denis Sassou-Nguesso’s recent working tour unfolded like a rolling civic pageant. Enthusiastic citizens packed avenues, waving the tricolour and chanting familiar refrains of unity. The itinerary, ostensibly technical, allowed the Head of State to inspect infrastructure projects and, on 24 November 2025, to inaugurate the new General Hospital of Ouesso, a facility expected to serve tens of thousands across the Sangha department. Observers note that the President deliberately avoided overtly electoral rhetoric. Yet the kinetic energy of…

Brazzaville hosts a pivotal gathering of 1,225 delegates Between 20 and 22 November 2025 the Palais des Congrès of Brazzaville resounded with debate, song and the subdued hum of committee work as the Union Panafricaine pour la Démocratie Sociale (UPADS) convened its second ordinary congress, the first of comparable magnitude since 2007. According to figures released by the party’s secretariat, 1,225 delegates—drawn from the twelve departments of the Republic of Congo—answered the roll call, signalling both the geographical reach and inter-generational appetite for renewal inside the historic social-democratic movement (Journal de Brazza; ADIAC). The congress unfolded against a backdrop of…

Historic congress heralds overdue renewal For three days, from 20 to 22 November 2025, the Palais des Congrès in Brazzaville became the nerve centre of the Union panafricaine pour la démocratie sociale. The second ordinary congress, the first since 2007, brought together 1 225 accredited delegates from all twelve departments of the Republic of the Congo. Expectations were high: the party founded by the late President Pascal Lissouba had openly acknowledged the need for introspection after almost two decades without a comprehensive internal audit. By all accounts, the atmosphere alternated between scholarly debate and fraternal fervour, a blend that conferred…

Festival in Brazzaville champions child protection For forty-eight hours the gardens and halls of the French Institute of Congo in downtown Brazzaville were transformed into a living manifesto for child protection. The Children’s Rights Festival, held from 14 to 15 November 2025, was orchestrated by the country-wide Réseau des intervenants sur le phénomène des enfants en rupture, better known by the acronym REIPER, together with the foundation Apprentis d’Auteuil and with strategic support from the Agence française de développement. Though festive in form—with music, theatre and hands-on art—the gathering addressed the serious theme chosen by the organisers: “Protecting street-connected children…

Historic solidarity shapes contemporary diplomacy When Ambassador Mziwamadoda Uppington Kalako took his seat in the ochre-walled office of Senate President Pierre Ngolo on 11 November, the meeting was more than a routine courtesy call. It resurrected a political fraternity forged during the struggle against apartheid, a chapter in which the Republic of the Congo provided refuge and diplomatic cover to South African liberation leaders. That legacy, underscored by the ambassador’s public gratitude, now underpins a forward-looking agenda that places parliamentary cooperation at the heart of bilateral relations. A conversation focused on legislative learning According to both interlocutors, the immediate objective…

A ceremonial launch under high institutional auspices From 30 to 31 October 2025 the marble halls of the Palais des Congrès in Brazzaville hosted the inaugural and first ordinary sessions of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, marking the formal beginning of the 2025-2029 mandate. The newly appointed councillors – invested by presidential decree n° 2025-173 of 13 May 2025 – took their seats under the gavel of Madam Émilienne Raoul, whose renewed presidency symbolises institutional continuity. Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso, representing President Denis Sassou Nguesso, delivered the opening address before an audience that included cabinet members, parliamentarians and…

Angola marks 50 years of sovereignty Luanda awoke on 11 November to ceremonial cannon fire and a tricolour sky, as the Republic of Angola commemorated the proclamation of independence issued at the same hour in 1975. The fiftieth anniversary, framed by the motto “Preserve national gains”, attracted citizens from all eighteen provinces and a sizeable diaspora contingent that flowed toward the imposing António Agostinho Neto Memorial esplanade, now firmly inscribed in the urban iconography of the capital. Government sources estimated the attendance at over 40 000 participants, in addition to foreign delegations representing regional organisations and traditional partners (ANGOP, 12…

Brazzaville Ceremony Marks 107th Armistice Anniversary Under the high sun of the Congolese capital, the rhythm of a military band accompanied a solemn procession toward the discreet marble stele that stands near the banks of the Congo River. There, on 11 November, Minister of National Defence Charles Richard Mondjo and France’s ambassador to the Republic of the Congo, Claire Bodonyi, laid wreaths of red and white blossoms, joined by Brazzaville prefect Gilbert Mouanda-Mouanda, Belgian Consul General Laurent Frederickx and David Wissika, Secretary-General of the National Office for Veterans. Their gestures, simple yet resonant, launched a morning of remembrance dedicated to…

A Working Visit Rooted in Political Solidarity The gentle heat of the early November morning in Brazzaville greeted Sergei Malinkovitch, head of the parliamentary group of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, as he stepped onto Congolese soil with a compact yet symbolically charged delegation. The visit, scheduled to extend over a full week, carries a clear mandate: to place an additional stone in the edifice of friendship that has long connected the Republic of the Congo and the Russian Federation. “Our mission”, Malinkovitch declared shortly after landing, “is to reinforce the ties of cooperation and solidarity that already…

Brazzaville welcomes faith envoys The late-afternoon sun had barely settled over the runway at Maya-Maya International Airport when two of contemporary Christianity’s most recognisable figures appeared at the cabin door. Pastor Paula White, spiritual adviser to former United States President Donald Trump, and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, pioneer of Africa’s charismatic renewal, were welcomed with full protocol honours by Commissioner Colonel-Major Michel Innocent Peya representing Head of State Denis Sassou Nguesso. Applause echoed through the VIP lounge as traditional dancers offered rhythmic salutations, setting an atmosphere that blended national pride with the solemnity of a liturgical procession. According to airport authorities,…