Presidential Guard steps into street policing
Since late September 2025, troops from the Directorate-General of Presidential Security, or DGSP, have fanned out across Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Their mission is to dismantle Kuluna and “bébés noirs” gangs whose machete attacks had made night-time travel risky in several districts, local radio stations confirm.
Legal foundation for an expanded mandate
The operation follows Decree 2025-390, signed on 18 September, which writes urban security and territorial defence into the DGSP’s remit. Under the text, the Guard may support police and gendarmerie whenever public order or economic stability is threatened, echoing provisions already listed in the 2023 Interior Ministry statute.
Sizing the threat for investors and citizens
Interior Ministry figures report more than 2,000 gang-related assaults in 2024, affecting markets, bus corridors and construction sites. Chambers of commerce estimate that delivery costs spiked 12 percent in Brazzaville during that period as logistics firms hired private escorts, a trend the current crackdown aims to reverse.
Community support and intelligence flows
Neighbourhood associations interviewed by daily newspaper Les Dépêches de Brazzaville say hotlines and anonymous tips now feed DGSP command posts. Residents who once resorted to vigilantism prefer providing photographs and hideout maps, limiting the risk of mob justice and building what officials call a renewed police-population alliance.
Coordination with police and gendarmerie
Colonel Claude Mavoungou of the National Police explains that forensic units prepare profiles, while DGSP commandos execute high-risk arrests. This model mirrors France’s GIGN-police partnership, he notes, ensuring that evidence collected on scene meets prosecutorial standards and that suspects are transferred quickly to civilian courts.
Human-rights safeguards and proportionality
The National Human Rights Commission states it has access to holding sites and can interview detainees. International observers including the UN Office in Central Africa acknowledge the arrangement, though they keep urging strict adherence to the 2019 law on the use of force. Authorities insist lethal force is only used against armed resistance.
Early operational results
By 30 October, the Interior Ministry reported 612 arrests, seizure of 350 machetes and 64 illegal firearms, and the recovery of 110 stolen mobile-money devices. Hospital emergency rooms in Makélékélé recorded a 40 percent decrease in knife wounds versus last year, according to the state health information system.
Macroeconomic ripple effects
Tour operators have reopened night river cruises, while retailers in the Total roundabout zone extend business hours to 21:00. The Brazzaville stock exchange’s small-cap index gained four percent in October, which brokers partly attribute to improved risk perception. Fitch Solutions still ranks security as a key monitor but notes the downward trend in incidents.
Funding and logistics
Finance Ministry insiders say the campaign’s first quarter costs are capped at CFA 7 billion, drawn from contingency reserves allocated to public-order emergencies. Armoured vehicles leased during the 2023 waste-management crisis were recommissioned, cutting procurement time and showcasing inter-agency asset sharing.
Leadership and accountability
Lieutenant-General Serge Oboa commands the task force through a joint operations centre. Daily sit-reps are relayed to Interior Minister Raymond-Zéphirin Mboulou and copied to the Prime Minister’s office, reinforcing civilian oversight. Analysts from the think tank CERDI view this chain of command as a hedge against mission creep.
Comparative regional experience
Kinshasa’s 2018 anti-Kuluna sweep and Lagos’s 2020 task force both underline that sustained results depend on youth employment schemes. Congo-Brazzaville is piloting vocational programmes at Gamboma and Dolisie barracks, offering carpentry and automotive training to willing former gang members, the Social Affairs Ministry confirms.
Business continuity and insurance premiums
Local insurers report that cargo premium surcharges for night haulage on the RN1 corridor have dropped from nine to five percent since the crackdown began. Renewable-energy developer GreenCongo says it can now keep technicians on site after dusk, shaving project timelines by an estimated six weeks.
Political messaging and public perception
President Denis Sassou Nguesso, in an address broadcast on national television, commended what he termed a “measured yet resolute” response to organised crime. An Afrobarometer snap poll shows 78 percent urban approval for the operation, suggesting broad popular alignment with the government’s security narrative.
Risk factors to monitor
Observers warn of potential gang displacement toward peri-urban areas like Ignié. The Interior Ministry has tasked the gendarmerie with mobile patrols along the Congo-Ocean Railway to pre-empt migration of violence, highlighting the need for constant adaptative tactics.
Medium-term policy outlook
Parliament is expected to review amendments to the 2020 Public Security Act in December, codifying intelligence sharing between civilian and military units. Legal scholars argue that clarity will help courts process complex cases faster, cutting pre-trial detention backlogs that often fuel criticism.
Implications for sustainable development
Stable streets unlock prerequisites for advancing climate-resilient infrastructure and forestry projects in the Congo Basin. Multilateral lenders demand security guarantees before disbursing green bonds; the DGSP’s campaign could therefore accelerate financing for Brazzaville’s planned Bus Rapid Transit and downstream wood processing zones.
Key takeaways for decision-makers
For investors, the security gains translate into lower operating risks and improved consumer confidence. For policymakers, inter-agency cooperation emerges as a template for future crises, while rights monitors will track adherence to procedural safeguards. All stakeholders agree that maintaining momentum beyond the initial offensive is now crucial.
