Meanwhile, in the Congo

The Berlin Conference convened by the Germans took place from November 1884 until February 1885.  It was prompted by King Leopold’s actions in the Congo which makes Congo central to the story of the partitioning of Africa.  According to historical sources, the Berlin Conference did not partition the continent - that process was already underway on the ground with European nations establishing their spheres of influence.  It merely formalized the partitioning and carved up the continent between major imperial powers. Not far from Mavré pharmacy in Brazzaville, stands a tiled mural - a moving and evocative tribute to the Berlin Conference.  The images painted on the tiles portray slave trade and subsequent colonial domination by Europe.  One picture depicts the European leaders gathered around a table, their hands like claws and faces vulture-like. Another, Africans carrying heavy loads to be taken to Europe to satisfy the need for raw materials in the age of indu...

A day at Maty is an easy day trip out of Brazzaville. The road is decent, except for the last 6 km where you are driving through fairly deep sand. 4WD with high clearance is a must and I do not recommend going during the rainy season.  Maty is a small, friendly  village nestled in a valley surrounded by tropical forest and fields.  It is clean and well organized.  Its main attraction is an easy access to the Maty river.  A while ago, the rich of Brazzaville, both local and expat, bought plots of land along the river and now they are renting those to the public. You can come with friends, you can come by yourself, or you can arrange a trip with a tour company, in which case they will bring a cook and serve you elaborate lunch at the river. You could even camp here overnight.  The river has a strong current, so one can’t really swim in it but it is great for a dip. We brought games, blankets and books to read. It was a very pleasant and relaxing day.

  Actions de Solidarité Internationale On March 5th, 2021, I led the delegation of the embassy personnel to the site of a French NGO, Actions de Solidarité Internationale (ASI). The American families at post expressed interest in making a donation to a worthy cause and our Community Liaison Officer (CLO) extraordinaire found this French NGO as a potential recipient of the donation.  The organization has been in existence since 1983 when it opened its first office in Burkina Faso. The first Congo office opened in 2006 with a particular interest and emphasis on helping vulnerable girls and women who often end up on the streets, with small children.  I particularly like their motto “We are no longer needed” as to me it embodies the basic idea behind international development - to help create effective programs in the host country which can eventually be sustained by local staff and operate independently. Our visit was a success - we got to tour the site and meet the women wh...

When you drive around the city, especially early in the morning, you will see street dogs, sometimes in groups, sometimes solitary.  They live on the periphery of humans, hoping to survive on the scraps.  And somehow they do! When we first moved into our neighborhood we noticed an older dog jumping on three legs.  We thought for sure he wouldn't survive long…  It is now two years later and he is still around.  Sleeping under cars, crossing a busy street near vendors selling grilled chicken.  He never pays much attention to humans or other dogs.  He just exists, a weird outsider…  There are kind people around town too, like the owner of Mikhael’s hotel.  Many street dogs hang out around that part of t own because they get fed with the hotel scraps . In general, the Congolese fear all dogs, especially the big ones. When I walk Nala, our golden retriever, people cross the street or shriek and jump in a mixture of fear and surprise. It is not unc...

Do you want to know how big the Congo River is? There are islands on it, with restaurants, swimming pools, animal farms and hotels, that’s how big! Sandbar This one only appears during the dry season so it is not really an island but it is on the river, so I am counting it as one.  When the sandbar appears, Mami Wata restaurant sets up shop there - they grill on the island, they have bouncy castles, trampolines, tables and chairs all set up.  On the weekend evenings, the mood changes from family fun to young people fun - there is music and dancing.   To get to the sandbar you take a pirogue from Mami Wata.  The trip is only 15 minutes long, including the loading times.  Once on the sandbar, you can either order from the limited menu of things that are prepared on the island or order from the Mami Wata menu and wait for them to deliver your food by pirogue. The drinks are served cold but the choice is limited to water, sodas and beer.   Fishermen i...

Cathédrale du Sacré-Coeur is the oldest existing cathedral in central Africa. Perhaps that is why it serves as a seat of the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Brazzaville .  The building itself was constructed between 1892 and 1894. The main entrance, with a large inscription of “Dieu est Amour” is decorated with two large statues of St. Paul on one side, and St. Peter on the other.  To the right of the building, there is a large, fenced courtyard - quite pretty and if there was playground equipment there, it could serve as a nice park.  The courtyard is surrounded by buildings, which I assume are used by the church as well.  Charles de Gaulle visited the cathedral in 1944 and Pope John Paul II came in 1980. I walk by the cathedral every day with one of our dogs.  The door is always open and often there is nice singing coming from the inside, or at least you see people going in and out for their morning prayers. There is a taxi stand right in front of the building....

In the middle of Brazzaville lies a hidden gem – a plot of tropical forest which half a century ago used to be one of the largest zoological parks on the continent. The ZOO went through a phase of decay and destruction, particularly during the civil war in the 90s. It was not until 2018 that slow renovations of the place began. The park re-opened under a new name – ZOOLANDIA - with a unique vision to combine zoology, botany and recently more and more plain family fun.   Currently, there are only a few animal exhibits (guinea pigs, a jackal, several types of monkeys, a few crocodile species, a civet cat, two very vocal goats and a bunch of ducks) and a few aviaries (palm vultures, kites, African fish eagles, a peacock and African grey parrots). The real appeal of this place, however, is taking a walk through the luscious forest and doing some birdwatching. You may even be lucky to spot African greys in the wild, chattering in the treetops! For that you have to visit during the week ...

Hanging out after the street show The name of the movement comes from the phrase Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (SAPE). In Congo, it doesn't matter who you are and where you work - anyone can be le Sapeur, men and women (les Sapeuses). The movement is supposed to embody the elegance in style. Some say le SAPE began with soldiers coming home from the First World War who brought the latest Parisian fashions with them. They took to dressing up and showing off and it made them feel rich and important. At the beginning les Sapeurs were not very popular, sometimes even banned from public spaces. Now, they have status as a part of Congo’s cultural heritage and became a symbol of the country. They participate in public cultural events or just stroll down the streets, showing off their elaborate outfits. Some are beginning to create their own original designs, as they believe it is not about the price but rather about the style - how you combine colors is more impor...

Pierre de Brazza was an Italian-born explorer who later in life became a naturalized French citizen. In contrast to Henry Stanley, his friendly manner and respectful approach to locals made him very popular among Africans. Under French colonial rule, the capital of the Republic of the Congo was named Brazzaville after him and the name is still kept until modern days. Congo is the only African nation to have a giant statue of the city colonial founder in the middle of “centre ville” with a museum dedicated to him! Brazza died in Dakar, was first buried in France at Pere Lachaise, by request of hos widow transferred to Algiers and eventually, in October 2006, his skeletal remains, as well as those of his wife and four children, were brought from Algeria to Brazzaville. They were laid to final rest at the Brazza Memorial. The museum is not visited very often. As a matter of fact, I often wonder who visits it, since I hardly ever see any people going in and out of the building. However...

From 1940 until 1943 Brazzaville was the capital of Afrique française libre (Free French Africa), which covered French Equatorial Africa and Cameroon and was part of the French empire under the military control of General Charles de Gaulle. Afrique française libre provided natural resources, manpower and a convenient location for running military operations. There are a few landmarks leftover from that time, the most famous being Charles de Gaulle’s house, which now serves as the French ambassador’s residence, and Saint Anne’s Basilica. The decision to construct the basilica was made in 1936 during an influx of converts to Poto Poto but the foundations were not laid until 1943 when there was a justified need for strong symbols in the capital.  The basilica was designed by Roger Erell, a famous French architect who blended Western architectural styles  with local building techniques. This was also the first time a European architect worked with local artists such as Benoit Kono...

Arrival We arrived in Brazzaville on Friday, July 26th, 2019, with Nala the golden retriever and two kitties. The embassy staff picked us up from the airport, facilitating all parts of our arrival.  What I mean by that is, we were pretty spoiled, we came out of the airplane and went straight into the VIP lounge to relax for a bit while the staff retrieved our luggage and our dog.  Once we had it all, we drove to the house accompanied by barking Nala who protested being in the cage on the way home.   On Saturday, we were invited to the ambassador’s house for dinner. Very private affair, just the four of us. Dinner began at 7 p.m. with welcome drinks on a balcony overlooking the swimming pool.  Since the sun sets at 6 p.m. we were not able to see anything else but were amused by the bats flying around the property.  After drinks, we proceeded to a downstairs, outdoors area, where we started with crab salad and then had salmon with roasted potatoes and avocado...