Four months after Turkish company Albayrak began operations, sanitation and waste management efforts in the cities of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire are still struggling to produce visible results. The pavements remain littered with rubbish. To reverse this trend and raise public awareness of more responsible behaviour, the Ministry of Urban Sanitation is now working to develop a national sanitation policy in partnership with several international institutions.
During the launch of Albayrak’s operations on 19 June 2025, the Minister of Urban Sanitation promised to put an end to the mountains of rubbish disfiguring the country’s two major cities. Yet, these waste piles remain ubiquitous, accumulating beside half-full bins, reflecting persistent unsanitary conditions caused both by the growing volume of waste and the lack of suitable equipment.
“Some diseases are caused by rubbish and really President Denis Sassou Nguesso must organise waste management properly.”
Léonce MASSOSSA, 6th-grade student – Congo
“It’s unbelievable in a city like Brazzaville, in broad daylight, this is a main road — actually, no road was even main, even deep in the neighbourhood there. When we talk about typhoid, it’s all because of this. Yet they charge us 2,000 FCFA to remove the rubbish.”
Timothée, Resident of Moungali, 4th district of Brazzaville – Congo
“It’s really sad to see that in a country like ours, where a major company took responsibility for sanitation, this same company is no longer active, and today our country — or rather, the population — has to live in disarray.”
Brudel, Shopkeeper – Congo
Faced with this situation, authorities now aim to accelerate action. A National Sanitation Policy was approved on 14 October 2025 in Brazzaville, with support from UNICEF and the African Development Bank. This strategic document aims to reduce sanitation-related diseases, protect the environment against climate challenges, and promote a circular economy as well as the creation of green jobs.
“The National Sanitation Policy validated today now provides a clear reference for public action, bringing together all partners around coherent and realistic objectives. It fills a persistent strategic gap, strengthening actor coordination, optimising resources, and ensuring rigour in project monitoring.”
Juste Désiré Mondele, Minister of Urban Sanitation and Local Development – Congo
Planned over a ten-year period, this policy marks a major turning point in waste management and access to decent sanitation infrastructure. Above all, it symbolises a new ambition: a cleaner, greener, and healthier Congo.
