The Politics Of Congo Brazzaville

Multiparty democracy that swept across Africa in the early 1990s, created a "momentum similar to that of the 1960s" (Lumumba-Kasongo 1998). The Sovereign National Conference of Brazzaville in 1991 marked the end of successive and unsuccessful monolithic powers - that led the Congo to political disarray and economic disintegration since the 1960s - and the beginning of a new era, that of multiparty democracy. The democratic dream came true. Marxist-Leninism, marred with dictatorship and military coups, was defeated. The Congolese people started to enjoy freedom of speech and vote that was confiscated since 1963. No sooner did the Congo start savouring the flavour of democracy than its path was strewn with obstacles. The move from political culture to economic performance, ethno-regional identities, the French foreign policy, the role of militias and the institutional design contributed to its failure. The 1997 civil war left the democratic dream in shambles and paved the way for a multiparty autocracy.

This seventh volume in the annual series of Congolese documents compiled by the Centre de Recherche et d'Information Socio-Politiques in Brussels consists of official statements and memoranda, proceedings of conferences, etc. In French, with an English introduction by Herbert Weiss. Originally published in 1967. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Congo Brazzaville Political History. A Book you would want to read. President Denis Sassou Nguesso's new term in office, a continuation of his decades in power after a murky re-election, has gotten off to a rocky start since violence in the Republic of Congo has left his political opponents fearing for their lives. On April 4, the day that final election results were released, shooting broke out in the southern districts of the capital, Brazzaville, which are considered to be opposition strongholds. Military barracks and checkpoints and two police stations were targeted in a gun battle that lasted nearly two days, according to the International Federation for Human Rights. Human right groups have also reported that airstrikes and a ground offensive took place in Pool, another area known for harboring opposition figures, starting the next day. The violence comes after protests last year over the constitutional referendum that extended the eligibility of presidential candidates beyond age 70, which allowed Mr. Sassou Nguesso, 72, to run again. Mr. Sassou Nguesso, often considered one of Africa's so-called presidents for life, has governed the country for 32 of the last 37 years.....

Why did the democratic experiment launched in the Republic of Congo in 1991 fail so dramatically in 1997? Why has it not been seriously resumed since then? This book provides an analysis of more than fifteen years of Congolese politics. It explores a series of logical hypotheses regarding why democracy failed to take root in Congo.

Previously published as: Historical dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo / by Emizet Franocois Kisangani and F. Scott Bobb. 2010.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1964.