CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by C. Goma Makaya, Congo-Brazza, May 1999
THEME = SOCIAL CONDIT.
In spite of a non-aggression pact,
relations between Brazzaville and Kinshasa remain difficult
In October 1997, as soon as he took power, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, began by closing the borders to prevent fleeing former officials from challenging his power from neighbouring countries. This kind of policy brought about the signing of a treaty between Congo-Brazza, Congo RDC, Angola and Gabon, all of them Congo- Brazza's neighbours.
During the 5 June war, relationships between Congo-Brazza and Congo RDC had deteriorated and President Sassou wanted to restore them. A few days after his inauguration as Head of State, he met President Kabila in Angola. The two Presidents, conscious of the worsening of the socio-politico relationships between their two countries, said they wanted to make a fresh start. In spite of this, there was still an unhealthy atmosphere between the two countries.
In August 1998, at the beginning of the war in Congo RDC, Congo RDC had accused Congo-Brazza of sheltering Rwandese Tutsis. In September 1998, following these allegations, river traffic between Kinshasa and Brazzaville stopped. An official from Congo-Brazza's Ministry for Disaster Victims, with special responsibility for humanitarian aid, explained: "We do not shelter Rwandese Tutsis in our country, although it had been officially announced that Brazzaville could serve as a temporary shelter for Rwandese Tutsis who are not accepted by Kinshasa. Our country simply doesn't have the facilities to care for refugees at a time when we are just emerging from a war situation. Moreover, we already have 10,000 Rwandese Hutus in Kintélé Camp which is situated 25kms from North Brazza. They leave the camp illegally because we can't supply the necessary control neither sufficient food."
On 29 December 1998, President Kabila made an official visit to Congo-Brazza. On this occasion, the two Presidents signed a non- aggression treaty in order to ensure and preserve security within their own countries and along their common borders. According to the treaty, the two sides commit themselves to preventing their respective countries from serving as a jumping-off point for aggression against the other country.
People breathed a sigh of relief when the treaty was signed and since 8 January 1999, river traffic has resumed. "Today, Brazza and Kinshasa have good relations", says Nono Lutala, special adviser to President Kabila in matters of security concerning the two countries, after officially visiting Brazza twice within 3 days (13th and 15th March).
Yes, there is a continuous sunny relationship between Congo RDC and Congo Brazza...at least, usually, because sometimes clouds appear on the horizon. In March this year, the Congo-Brazza ship Obouya was boarded by officials from Congo RDC, about 300 kms north of Brazza. This nearly caused a renewed deterioration of relations between the two countries. The boat was carrying 300 passengers plus arms and ammunition which, according to the Congo- Brazza government, were earmarked for the border guards at Impfondo. Once again, Congo-Brazza was accused by Congo RDC of breaching the non-aggression treaty. Happily, the matter was sorted out.
Every day the big Transcongolaise Agence Ferry, which can carry up to 400 passengers, provides transport for people and for the goods which occupy both the hold and the deck. The ferry forms a vital link between the two capitals which nowadays can no longer count on goods brought in from the interior because of the on-going fighting.
In Congo-Brazza: After the railway closed in October 1998, Brazzaville experienced shortages of basic commodities such as oil, soap, sugar. The airlift which the government organised to get goods from Pointe Noire, Congo-Brazza's economic capital, to Brazzaville, was not sufficient. This meant that direct commercial activity between Kinshasa and Brazzaville increased. Food now has to be bought from outside sources and this involves Congo-Brazza in expenses amounting to some 100 billion CFA francs per year.
Since the beginning of the war, Congo RDC has been experiencing serious food and fuel shortages. Traders cross over from Brazza to Kinshasa loaded with cases of salted and dried fish, chickens. They return to Brazza with garden produce and several other kinds of food stuffs.
Brazzaville is obliged to import garden produce because it's now cut off from its southern farming region. A lady market trader says: "The ferry's about to leave and my goods are on it. I need to keep an eye on them. I'm taking salted and smoked fish to Kinshasa and I'll bring back sugar, kerosene and vegetables (tomatoes, chives, onions, peppers) for Brazza".
In additional to regular trading in basic foodstuffs, there's also illegal trafficking in petrol and kerosene which both countries' authorities turn a blind eye to.
"I cross over to Kinshasa by boat at least three times a day to buy petrol and kerosene", explains Lucien Nzonzi, a mobile fuel supplier in Brazzaville. In both capitals he's known as a "Kadaphi". The "Kadaphi" have a plan of action whereby they're the only ones who can carry on this "informal" trade. They buy the fuel at Ngobila beach in Congo RDC, where petrol pump attendants offer them "preferential service". Customs and Excise don't get a look in. The "Kadaphi" buy a 25 litre jerry-can in Kinshasa for 20 Congolese francs (5,000 CFA francs). In Brazza, the same jerry-can is sold for 17,000 CFA francs (700 CFA francs per litre).
The Paradox: Fuel is scarce in Kinshasa, transport being a major problem in the city. Bus drivers spend days near a petrol station in order to get some fuel. The people of Kinshasa don't understand how the city manages to supply Brazza, while they themselves are short of petrol. According to a petrol station attendant, there's a simple answer: "Kinshasa is not short of petrol, but suppliers don't want to sell petrol to the filling stations for a number of reasons. In any case, we prefer to sell fuel to the Brazza people because they pay with CFA francs, a currency which helps us when it comes to banking our money. In Kinshasa, if we want to make any profit, we've got to double the price of fuel at the filling stations".
The socio-economic situation in both capitals is alarming. Food is very expensive and salaries remain unpaid. Obviously people are complaining. One father of a family says: "I don't know how I'm going to feed my family. But the good God looks after me. I live from day by day. We've cut out breakfast from our eating habits, beef now having become a luxury in our diet. I've accustomed my family to eat once a day, at 5 p.m." The days when people in Kinshasa could afford to buy a kilo of beef at a time, have long since disappeared because they simply can't afford it. The 1996 war and the on-going conflict in the east of the country has caused Congo RDC to loose two-thirds of their cattle. This means there's less beef available in Kinshasa.
Brazza and Kinshasa are two interdependent towns as regards trading. They're both experiencing important socio-politico crises. They're both afraid of a situation whereby Sassou or Kabila might be overthrown. The destabilization of one regime will inevitably bring about the break-of up the other.
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CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1999 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement