Article 15 or ''article quinze'' () is a humorous
French idiom in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
which is used to justify an action taken on an individual's initiative. Originating during the
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis (french: Crise congolaise, link=no) was a period of political upheaval and conflict between 1960 and 1965 in the Republic of the Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The crisis began almost immediately after ...
and popularised under the
Zairean regime, it references a fictional provision of the 14-article constitution of the secessionist state of
South Kasai
South Kasai (french: Sud-Kasaï) was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognised Secession, secessionist state within the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville), Republic of the Congo (the modern-day Democratic Republi ...
which was said to read, in French, (literally, "get on with it", "figure it out yourself",
"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.
Since the fall of Mobutu, the article is invoked to justify or explain
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
and
petty theft in the country.
Article 15 plays a prominent role in Congolese popular culture, such as the
Congolese rumba
Congolese rumba is a popular genre of dance music that originated in the Congo basin during the 1940s, deriving from Cuban son. The style gained popularity throughout Africa during the 1960s and 1970s.
It is known as Lingala in Kenya, Uganda, ...
song "Article 15, oyebi yango" (1963) or "Article 15 Beta Libanga" (1985).
See also
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System D
System D is a manner of responding to challenges that require one to have the ability to think quickly, to adapt, and to improvise when getting a job done. The term gained wider popularity in the United States after appearing in the 2006 publica ...
, an equivalent concept in English from European French.
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Politics of the belly.
References
Further reading
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External links
{{Africa topic, Corruption in
Crime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Corruption in Africa
French language in Africa
1960s neologisms
French slang
Informal economy in Africa
Fictional laws