The guitarist Passy Mermans, alias Mermans 1st, died on Wednesday 28 December in Brazzaville aged 80; he was part of The Bantous de la Capitale, the first Congolese orchestra, created in 1959

During presidential election, civil organizations set up large-scale cultural carnival in Brazzaville to support the ecological vision and the values ​​of peace and sustainable development championed by candidate Denis Sassou Nguesso in power since 1997

Preparing for elections on 15 March, Congolese law enforcement will maintain a heightened presence, strict posture, blockades and road closures expecting significant public movement during voting hours; President Nguesso, 82, is seeking a 5th term

In Brazzaville, a new business is reshaping the local economy: parking lots on plots of land, cultivated or uncultivated; in underserved neighborhoods landowners transform their properties into paid parking spaces, charging affordable rates for drivers