The neo‐colonial context of the democratic experiment of Congo‐Brazzaville

Abstract

This article examines the failure of the democratic experiment in Congo‐Brazzaville in the context of the country's dependent relationship with its former colonizer, France. Congo's experiment with multiparty politics began in 1991, endured a series of crises from 1992 to 1994, then collapsed in the civil war of 1997. Meanwhile, the transitional regime (1991–92) and the elected regime of Pascal Lissouba (1992–97) experienced much more troubled relations with France than did the dictatorial regime of Denis Sassou‐Nguesso, which preceded them. When Sassou‐Nguesso returned to power by force of arms with French support in 1997, many concluded that France bore the primary responsibility for the failure of the democratic experiment. This study finds, however, that, while both French government officials and Elf operatives sought systematically to maintain their influence in Congo, neither bears primary responsibility for the failure of the multiparty experiment.