DR Congo· hard· informal
article quinze
“article fifteen”
No DR Congo voice yet, so this is read in French.
Meaning
fend for yourself by any means necessary
Explanation
In the DRC, 'article quinze' is an imaginary law that says 'débrouillez-vous!', figure it out yourself. It captures the Congolese spirit of survival and resourcefulness.
Example
Il n'y a plus de bus ? C'est l'article quinze, on marche.
No more buses? It's article fifteen, we walk.
Origin
During the Congo Crisis of the 1960s, the secessionist state of South Kasai had a 14-article constitution. Locals joked that the missing 'article 15' simply read 'débrouillez-vous!' The phrase became a national motto of resourcefulness, popularised further by Pépé Kallé's 1980s hit song.
Where
DRC
Source