What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore how memory shapes emotional tensions related to colonial narratives in Congo.

July 5, 2026Open Access

Brazza and the Affective Afterlives of Colonialism in Congo

Puntos clave

The aim is to explore how memory shapes emotional tensions related to colonial narratives in Congo.
Analyzes the iconography of the Brazza Mausoleum to understand memory's role in postcolonial identity.
Examines the interplay between state narratives and popular resistance.
Investigates the grievances linked to colonial history and their ongoing relevance.
Highlights that colonial memory acts as a haunting force influencing contemporary frustrations.
Demonstrates that emotional interpretations of memory challenge elite narratives.
Shows how grievances from the colonial past impact perceptions of the postcolonial state.

Resumen

Abstract In this article I suggest looking at memory as a symbolic field animated by the emotional tensions that emerge from popular interpretations of state hegemonic narratives. These affective engagements challenge the binary framings of memory as a contested project between the elite’s script and the resistance from below. Using the iconography of the Brazza Mausoleum, I argue that colonial memory in Congo acts as a spectral force through which the grievances from the colonial past convey meaning to the frustrations experienced through the postcolonial state. Colonial history returns as a phantom haunting the unfulfilled promises of the independent state.

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Cite This Study

Moudwe Daga (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a49f503f5d1d45b2880019e https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2026.10258

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