Untimely and prolonged blackouts, low voltage: this is the daily lot of many Congolese. To protest against this situation in Brazzaville, subscribers initiated a march on Friday. A demonstration which was quickly stifled by the police, the march having been banned two days before by the Prefecture of Brazzaville, citing “compelling reasons of public order”. The main initiator was arrested and assaulted before being released.
With our correspondent in Brazzaville, Loicia Martial
The march is expected to start from the famous Ebina roundabout at the headquarters of Societe Energie Electrique du Congo (2EC), with the marchers calling for the resignation of its managing director.
Wearing T-shirts that read “ We are fed up with the cuts and the DG of the 2EC “, subscribers found the police at the scene. The latter prohibited any gathering and arrested the activist Armel de l’eau Loemba, initiator of the movement. ” While we waited for the others, we were brutally arrested and brutalized, then taken to the central police station where we were presented to the central commissioner of the city of Brazzaville “, he says.
Armel de l’eau Loemba was then taken to the police headquarters, which ordered his release. RFI met him afterwards, his body in pain after the aborted protest march. ” Under other skies, these abusive and unjust cuts (of current) should be the subject of complaints at the level of justice. But, here the energy company is quiet “says the activist.
Power cuts are experienced in the Congo as a paradox by consumers; because it is in this sector that huge investments have been made over the past 20 years by the authorities.