Oi speaking…

Now that I have been here for some time, I have some observation about the President of Brazzaville. If you live in this city for two weeks to a month, chances are good that you will get caught in traffic by the road blocking which occurs each time the President leaves the palace to go somewhere. The road block is normally preceded by four to six rows of motorcycles to announce the arrival of the long procession. The processions itself consists of two or three truck loads of machine gun bodyguards, followed by several ministers in shimmering shiny cars, and finally the President’s limousine with four motorcycles surrounding the car at each wheel. On top of  this, every time the President goes anywhere, an ambulance with doctor, nurses, paramedic and medical emergency equipment follows the procession, then a few more cars of protocol people and a few more military cars full of green camouflage costumed soldiers with machine guns. This does not include all the soldiers and small machine guns at every corner of the street where the procession will pass.

This procession blocks the roads both ways and lasts for the duration of his procession to the President’s destination and then the return of all the cars, ambulance, trucks used for the procession to the presidential palace. Only after those cars are all back in the palace are the roads of Brazzaville city cleared for normal public circulation again. And talking about the roads in the city of Brazzaville, there are not too many of them suitable for normal cars. Most streets are not maintained and are full of potholes, but for the President’s procession, they always manage to find the routes that are OK for his limousine to pass.

The people seem to be so proud of their President’s procession. The cars and protocols are modern symbols of the leopard skin throne and scepter that were traditional symbols of the chief in the past; the decorations and ceremony that replace the old time African head of state’s possession. I’ve never seen a photograph of the President of the Republic of Congo in traditional costume. I wonder if there is even one at all, but I have seen the picture of the previous president of the RDC in a leopard hat. As far as I know, he has never been seen anywhere without his leopard hat on. The same way the President of Republic of Congo never goes anywhere without his long procession.

If my visitor is lucky enough to get caught in traffic during one of this impressive procession and be in the front role to see all these cars and soldiers and ambulance and the whole shebang, it will hard for him or her to forget the visit to Brazzaville.

© Copyright Oi Servais, 2007. All rights reserved.