Congo - Kinshasa· hard· informal
article quinze
“article fifteen”
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