Students of the Technical High School “Cinq-Février-1979” in Brazzaville are set to resume classes on February 20th, 2024. This institution had been closed a week ago by government authorities for “serious incivility.” The resumption coincides with the opening of the trial against more than a dozen students who removed the national tricolor flag on February 5 and replaced it with a monochrome flag.
According to a judicial source close to the case, on Tuesday, 14 adult students will appear before the Correctional Court of the Brazzaville tribunal to answer charges of “degradation of an object intended for public utility or decoration.” Meanwhile, two students aged 15 and 16 will be heard at the juvenile court the following day for “association of wrongdoers,” while several hundred students enrolled in this establishment will return to classes.
Control Measures
Christian Grégoire Epouma, president of the Association of Parents of Students and Students of the Congo (Apeec), explains: “Every child arriving at Cinq-Février High School must present their badge to show that they have been checked: that is, registered, and have signed their registration form in the presence of their father or mother. Those without a badge mean they have not been registered and will not have access to Cinq-Février High School.”
This control followed by registration was initiated following the act of incivility on February 5, where students replaced the Republic of Congo’s national green-yellow-red flag with a dark blue fabric resembling their uniforms.
“Justice Will Take Its Course”
For Christian Grégoire Epouma, the trial commencing today aims to set an example: “The guilty will be known, and the innocent or those who were caught up in the crowd will be acquitted, and justice will take its course.” This trial marks a significant step in combating incivility in the school environment.