Spatialities of slow resistance in Congo-Brazzaville

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial dynamics of resistance under authoritarian rule, using Congo-Brazzaville as a case study. Against the backdrop of President Denis Sassou Nguesso's enduring authoritarian rule and intensified repression following the 2015–2016 elections, Congolese resisters are transforming domestic and sacred spaces such as private homes and churches into terrains of resistance. Through empirical research and drawing on theories of everyday resistance, spatial strategies, and slow resistance, the paper reveals how these terrains of resistance have endured even after overt protests subsided. It argues that understanding the spatialities of resistance in Congo-Brazzaville requires examining how Congolese navigate and subvert state power through subtle, everyday acts of resistance that exploit the spatial dynamics of authoritarian control. The findings highlight the emotional, spatial, and temporal dimensions of resistance, illuminating how these practices contribute to the gradual construction of oppositional political consciousness that reconfigures power relations over time. By examining these spatio-temporal practices of resistance, the paper challenges narratives of political apathy under Sassou's rule and contributes to the rich scholarship of critical political geography and resistance studies.