Article 15 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

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"Whether you're young or old, we all face the same reality: the difficult life
The daily nightmare.
What to do? If nothing else, refer to Article 15:
"Do what you must to live"
In Kinshasa."

"Article 15 Beta Libanga", 1985 song, by Pépé Kallé. Translation by Gary Stewart.[1]

Article 15 or article quinze (French pronunciation: ​[aʁ.ti.klə.kɛ̃z]) is a humorous French idiom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which is used to justify an action taken on an individual's initiative. Originating during the Congo Crisis and popularised under the Zairean regime, it references a fictional provision of the 14-article constitution of the secessionist state of South Kasai which was said to read, in French, débrouillez-vous ! (literally, "get on with it", "figure it out yourself",[2] "deal with it yourself", or "do what you need to do").

A popular idiom, the phrase is used to mean that individuals cannot expect help from the state and must use their own initiative to muddle through. It is sometimes used to justify unlawful conduct.[3] Since the fall of Mobutu, the article is invoked to justify or explain corruption and petty theft in the country.[4]

Article 15 plays a prominent role in Congolese popular culture, such as the Congolese rumba song "Article 15, oyebi yango" (1963) or "Article 15 Beta Libanga" (1985).

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Stewart, Gary (2000). Rumba on the River: A History of the Popular Music of the Two Congos. London: Verso. p. 285. ISBN 1859843689.
  2. ^ Yong, Ed (July 2018). "The Next Plague Is Coming. Is America Ready?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  3. ^ Titeca, Kristof; Nkuku, Albert Malukisa (March 12, 2018). "Kinshasa's informal economy is trapped by a corrupt "tax" system for powerful public officials". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  4. ^ Rorison, Sean (2012). Congo: Democratic Republic - Republic. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-84162-391-7. Retrieved 3 April 2020.

Further reading[]

  • Kisangani, Emizet François (2016). "Article 15". Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4th illustrated ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4422-7316-0.
  • Tricoire, Marion (2020). "Delinquent Fiction: Article 15 and the shégués Children in Marie-Louise Mumbu's Samantha à Kinshasa". Research in African Literatures. 51 (2): 80. doi:10.2979/reseafrilite.51.2.05. S2CID 231624859.

External links[]

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