Pool security: DGSP lifts troop alert from Jan. 27
The Direction générale de la sécurité présidentielle (DGSP) has officially lifted the internal alert imposed on its troop quarters, effective January 27. The announcement was made in a note signed by Brigadier General Serges Oboa, special adviser and DGSP director general, according to the statement.
The alert had been put in place on January 12. It was presented as a measure to help run military operations in the Pool department and surrounding areas, as authorities pursued what they described as “rebels ninjas” and broader violent criminal activity.
Mindouli clashes: what the note refers to
The lifting comes after a tense sequence of events in mid-January around the district of Mindouli, in Pool. On Sunday, January 11, gunfire broke out on the outskirts of the district, in an incident pitting a DGSP convoy against a group described as ninjas.
The group was presented as “demobilized” militiamen close to Frédéric Bintsamou, also known as Ntoumi. The account published at the time indicated that the clashes caused loss of life, without providing a detailed public breakdown.
Operations and road controls on National Road No. 1
In the aftermath, the DGSP continued movements linked to Operation “Zéro kulunas,” described as having been launched months earlier. The unit was traveling toward Pointe-Noire within that framework, while also carrying out deterrent actions along its route, the report said.
At Ngamadzambala, at the entrance to Mayama on National Road No. 1, two motorcycles described as being in an irregular situation were set on fire. The report linked the decision to the recurring suspicion that unregistered motorbikes can be used for criminal purposes or to support banditry.
The episode drew attention because motorcycles are central to daily mobility in many communities, while also being frequently cited in security reporting for their role in quick getaways. In the official framing, the incident was tied to enforcement rather than to broader restrictions on movement.
Reinforced deployment: sources cite a heliborne operation
Following these incidents, the security posture in the area was considerably reinforced, according to several concordant sources cited in the report. The account referred to DGSP units being deployed and supported by a heliborne operation carried out over the weekend.
The stated objective was to flush out rebel elements believed to be entrenched. While details were limited, the combination of ground units and air support signals a search-and-pressure approach intended to deny armed groups freedom of movement in difficult terrain.
Authorities say calm is returning in the Pool department
With the troop alert now lifted, the message from the authorities is that the situation is stabilizing. The decision is presented as reflecting a progressive return to calm across Pool after the security operations and the reinforcement of the local device.
Officials also sought to reassure the public that the security situation is under control. For residents and transport users along the Brazzaville–Pointe-Noire corridor, the emphasis on control and calm is meant to signal a reopening of routine life after a period of heightened tension.
Even so, the events described underline the delicate balance security services face in Pool: responding firmly to armed threats and banditry while maintaining normal circulation on strategic roads. In the current sequence, the lifting of the alert stands as the clearest institutional marker that the acute phase has eased.