In force for two years, the measures of curfew, closure of nightclubs and other leisure spaces or even river and land borders were lifted on Monday February 28 by the Congolese authorities in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The population recovering its restricted freedoms is jubilant.
With our correspondent in Brazzaville,Loicia Martial
On Avenue de la Paix, after 8 p.m., officials stormed a bank’s ATM. It is the payroll. The machine has certainly broken down, but no one wants to leave the premises. No one is afraid to stay outside anymore.
“ We need money. So we can wait until the machine will reboot. Nobody will bother us because the curfew is lifted. There is no more curfew, so we can stay here quietly until X hour “says one of them.
Arrived on his motorcycle, this official understands why the authorities have relaxed the measures: “ Compared to the evolution of the disease in Europe, America and China, we see that here it manifests itself in low doses. It is normal that we lift these measures to allow people to resume their normal activities. “, he explains.
“We are here until dawn. It’s party ! »
In Place Matongé, there are plenty of bars, the music mixes with the noise of the generators. No public lighting. Seated in front of bottles of beer, consumers feel freer. “ I was thinking of going home, but I think I can still stay and have one more bottle. We are here until dawn. It’s party ! I’m going to stay until 11 p.m., because there’s no electricity, and then I go back to bed. they say in turn.
Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire were the only cities to remain under curfew since the end of 2020.