The Spread of Political Violence in Congo-Brazzaville

The Republic of Congo has witnessed two recent waves of major violence, in 1993–4 and in 1997. Party militias fought one another in the streets of Brazzaville, causing massive loss of life and widespread damage. This article briefly recounts the history of this violence and analyses the activities and social origins of the militiamen. The process of democratic transition of the early 1990s had a marked effect in disseminating the use of political violence throughout a large section of society, notably among young people frustrated in their expectations of social and economic advancement.