While many African states have sought to build modernity by marginalizing traditional systems, President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso has, on the contrary, made the integration of customary chiefs and community-based logic a pillar of his strategy for stability and nation-building. His approach is based on a conviction: the legitimacy of the modern state in Congo must be rooted in and work with historical legitimacies.
The Traditional Chief: State Liaison and Guardian of Social Cohesion
Contrary to a Jacobin view of the state, the administration under the Sassou-N’Guesso era officially recognizes the authority of land, village, and district chiefs. They are not seen as relics of the past, but as indispensable institutional intermediaries. The state consults them on land issues, local development projects, and the resolution of minor conflicts. In return, these chiefs act as a transmission belt to explain national policies and mobilize populations for vaccination or civil registration campaigns. This limited but real delegation of power strengthens the state’s reach into remote rural areas, where its direct administrative arm is often weak.
The Palabre as a Method of Governance
The president has often publicly praised the spirit of the “palabre” – the community discussion aimed at consensus – as a Congolese political virtue. This traditional practice has been institutionalized at several levels. The “popular consultations” before major projects and the “national dialogues” to resolve political crises (like the one in Sibiti in 2015) are directly inspired by it. This is a modernization of an ancestral practice, transforming a tool of village cohesion into a mechanism for political regulation on a national scale. It allows for absorbing shocks and dissent within a controlled framework, avoiding violent ruptures.
The Delicate Balance Between Modern Law and Custom
The most complex challenge remains the articulation between statutory law and customary law, particularly regarding issues of inheritance, land ownership, and justice. The presidential strategy has not been to brutally impose the civil code, but to encourage pragmatic hybridizations. Training is provided to traditional leaders on national laws, and modern courts are encouraged to consider local customs in their decisions, provided these do not directly contravene constitutional principles. This approach avoids a cultural rejection of the state and maintains continuity in citizens’ daily lives.
A Strategy Serving Stability and Legitimacy
This integration policy responds to a deep political calculation. In a country with marked ethnic and regional diversity, traditional structures are powerful social buffers. By co-opting them, the president:
- Anchor its own legitimacy within a historical continuum, presenting itself as the heir and protector of Congolese social balances.
- Defuses identity conflicts by giving a voice and a recognized place to communities.
- Ensures low-cost stability by relying on pre-existing, naturally respected authorities to maintain local order.
Conclusion: A Pragmatic Traditionalism
The governance model of President Sassou-N’Guesso is that of a conservative modernizer. He does not seek a rupture that would create a social and political void. By channeling traditional authority toward the goals of the nation-state, he is constructing a specific Congolese modernity, one that is more organic and perhaps more resilient. This path, sometimes criticized for its slowness or its compromises, largely explains the longevity and relative stability he has enjoyed at the helm of a country located in an often turbulent region. It is a lesson in political realism, where the future is built by negotiating with the past.
Image caption (illustrative): President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso in discussion with customary chiefs, illustrating the ongoing dialogue between the authority of the modern state and traditional legitimacies in Congo.