Brazzaville hosts Congo’s AI regulation meeting
A national consultation on how to regulate artificial intelligence has opened in Brazzaville, bringing together public institutions, private sector players and international digital experts. The meeting is organized by the Agency for the Regulation of Posts and Electronic Communications, known as ARPCE (Journal de Brazza).
- Brazzaville hosts Congo’s AI regulation meeting
- What is on the agenda: data, AI and safer digital life
- ARPCE calls for a coordinated response to fast tech change
- Minister Ibombo: data and AI are strategic resources
- A national AI strategy is being prepared with partners
- How the consultation could shape Congo’s digital future
Organizers say the sessions are scheduled to run through Friday, 16 January 2026. The aim is to set practical foundations for regulation that can keep pace with today’s fast-moving technologies, while staying aligned with Congo’s needs and realities (Journal de Brazza).
What is on the agenda: data, AI and safer digital life
According to the program presented by the initiators, discussions focus on protecting citizens in the digital space and encouraging responsible innovation. Participants are also examining how to regulate data and AI more broadly, alongside the rise of new digital services (Journal de Brazza).
Another key topic is building a safe and inclusive digital finance environment. In practical terms, the consultation is looking at how to strengthen trust online, avoid harmful uses of technology, and support economic and social benefits linked to digital transformation (Journal de Brazza).
ARPCE calls for a coordinated response to fast tech change
Speaking at the opening, ARPCE Director General Louis-Marc Sakala stressed that regulation needs to move faster. “Technologies are evolving faster than our ability to regulate them,” he said, arguing for stronger coordination between public institutions and private stakeholders (Journal de Brazza).
Louis-Marc Sakala presented the challenge as broader than AI alone. He pointed to the need to address artificial intelligence, blockchain, crypto-assets and satellite technologies—areas that can bring opportunities, but also raise new questions for consumer protection, data governance and market oversight (Journal de Brazza).
Minister Ibombo: data and AI are strategic resources
The Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, Léon Juste Ibombo, framed digital data and AI as strategic resources for modern states. In his remarks, he called for a political response that is “lucid, coherent and responsible,” matching the economic, social and ethical stakes (Journal de Brazza).
His message, as presented by the organizers, is that regulation is not only about limits. It is also about building clear rules that can support development, improve public trust, and guide innovation in ways that reflect national priorities (Journal de Brazza).
A national AI strategy is being prepared with partners
Léon Juste Ibombo also announced that a national artificial intelligence strategy is currently being developed. The work is being carried out in partnership with the African Center for Research in Artificial Intelligence and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP (Journal de Brazza).
The stated objective is to provide Congo with a clear framework tailored to its context. For stakeholders attending the consultation, the strategy is expected to help align regulation, investment and innovation choices, while supporting institutions tasked with implementing rules (Journal de Brazza).
How the consultation could shape Congo’s digital future
Initiators say the discussions are designed to produce a shared vision and concrete orientations. The ambition is to move toward what they describe as an “intelligent, inclusive and sovereign” model of digital regulation—one that protects people while supporting opportunities (Journal de Brazza).
For many citizens, the most immediate expectation is simple: clearer safeguards online and more confidence in digital services. For businesses and innovators, the consultation signals a push for predictable rules that can help responsible projects grow within an agreed national framework (Journal de Brazza).
