Confinement in the Congo: shops looted in Brazzaville during the curfew

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Brazzaville: in the foreground the houses and stalls of the Mpila district, in the background of the buildings under construction and in the background the two twin towers, March 2019. RFI / Loicia Martial

Text by: Loïcia Martial

Congo-Brazzaville has been living under a night curfew since March 31. A measure associated with containment and initiated to block the path to the spread of Covid-19. But in recent days traders have been surprised to find that shops are looted at night.

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With our correspondent in Brazzaville,

Among the many measures decreed by the authorities to deal with Coronavirus, the curfew is scrupulously respected . Every evening, from 8 p.m., Brazzaville looks like an abandoned city: the inhabitants are hiding at home.

Only the defense and security forces keep watch. They organize pedestrian and mobile patrols. But, for a while, upon awakening, a few traders have found their shops decadent, ripped open goods and recipes taken away.

These traders have many suspicions. “  There are many cases of theft. In the Ngamakosso neighborhood (in the 6th arrondissement, note), in front of shops that have been burglarized, we found the footprints of the rangers. When the police were present, everyone was in his house watching the curfew. So ! Who stole ?  "Denounces a shopkeeper on condition of anonymity.

Prime Minister's warning

As for the residents of the districts, they point the finger at unemployed young people who work in the informal sector and today are stranded at home because of confinement. There is no job here. A young man who does not work, what can he do at the end. He has nothing to eat. To find money is difficult. In the end, he will loot or steal even if it is not his will or in his habits. He is obliged to do so in relation to the state of the situation,  ”says a resident.

The question of the shops that were gutted overnight has been on the menu for the past week in an arrest of the executive by the Parliament. The government wanted investigations to be made to shed light. Prime Minister Clément Mouamba has warned that any uniformed man who turns into a burglar will be removed from the police force if his guilt is established.

For its part, the Congo traders union said on Thursday that it was working to identify all the broken shops to establish a list. A list which will then be submitted to the task force, this structure responsible for managing the response to the Covid-19, for possible compensation for the damage.

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  • Congo Brazzaville
  • Containment
  • Coronavirus

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