Picturing and Depicturing: Brazza in Brazzaville

Abstract

On October 3, 2006 Congolese president Denis Sassou Ngessou with the assistance of Gabonese president Omar Bongo and Central African statesman François Bozizé has inaugurated the memorial of Savorgnan de Brazza (1852–1905), Italian-French explorer, who laid down the foundation for French colonialism, but later on protested against its exploitative practice and liberated the slaves. One year earlier at the settling of the foot-stone of Brazza’s memorial French president Jacques Chirac also showed up, having been “filled up by certain feelings”. This is a tiny episode in a country’s history, which, however, gives us a reason to map the past which dates back to the colonization.