In this paper, I explore the definition of the banality of power from Achille Mbembe’s perspective in his article “Provisional Notes on the Post colony,” with an example of the political context of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Mbembe uses the term “banality of power” to refer to Mikhail Bakhtin’s claim that “non-official” cultures and features of the grotesque and obscene are essential to all systems of dominance by which those systems are validated or dismantled, rather than just the routine in which bureaucratic or arbitrary rules are reproduced. He argues that the banality of power transcends simple bureaucratic formalities and reflects normalization of violence and oppression within the political landscape in which power structures embed themselves into the fabric of everyday life (Mbembe, 1992). 

The banality of power is visible in the post-colonial context of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country marked by a history of violence since the brutal rule of King Leopold II during the Congo Free State (1885-1908), where he exploited the Congo as his personal property. After gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the DRC experienced 32 years of dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko from 1965 to 1997 when he was ousted by a civilian rebel group led by Laurent Désiré Kabila (Congressional Research Service, 2022). Since 1997 until today, the DRC has been plagued by a series of violent and armed conflicts, political and ethnic tensions that have claimed millions of lives and left countless others as refugees and about 7 million persons internally displaced (Amnesty International, 2023). Despite the DRC being one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources, the country is still classified among the least developed countries due to political instabilities, civil wars, poor governance, corruption, government extravagance, the lack of the rule of law among many other factors. 

Mbembe (1992) explains the banality of power using concepts such as; routine practices and normalization of violence, the grotesque and obscene, and the normalization of state power. He maintains that in post-colonial states, power often manifests through routine practices and rituals that become ingrained in society. In the DRC, Congolese leaders often use public displays of authority to reinforce power during special ceremonies. They hold speeches that convey messages of power and control, yet there are many other territories in the Eastern part of Congo which are controlled and exploited by rebel groups, and the Congolese government has no clue about what happens in these regions. The grotesque nature of these events where the government often spends millions of dollars, thus contrasts with the reality of the citizens who have limited access to public services such as; clean water, electricity, health care, and education.

According to Mbembe (1992), the grotesque and the obscene are practiced in post-colonial states in a way that state violence, brutality, coercion and other acts of oppression are normalized and routinized. In this context, people then submit themselves to the authoritarian rule, but their subjection when exaggerated may lead to resistance. Both the military and police illustrate this banality of power in the DRC. These institutions are often deployed to maintain order, but their methods frequently involve violence and intimidation. Security forces use excessive force to suppress civilians. For instance, on August 30, 2023, security forces killed at least 48 people, left 75 wounded and arrested about 220 civilians in Goma (the capital of the North-Kivu province) during a crackdown of the protest demanding the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces, known as MONUSCO; United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kasujja, 2023). This event illustrates the extent to which the relationship between the Congolese government forces and civilians is characterized by the normalization of violence and the acceptance of state-sponsored brutality. As Mbembe mentions, this relationship between the state and the population underpins the idea that power operates through fear and coercion in post-colonial states, “a relationship made fraught by the very fact of the commandment and its ‘subjects’ having to share the same living space” (Mbembe, 1992, p. 4).

Moreover, the normalization of state power and how it leads individuals to internalize the narratives imposed by the state perpetuates the cycle of dominance (Mbembe, 1992).  Widespread corruption within bureaucratic institutions in the DRC has also become a culture. Government officials often prioritize personal gain over the national interests. This practice has created a culture where bribery and nepotism are normalized. This systemic corruption is practiced and it has become a routine of daily life for many Congolese. Such practices reflect Mbembe’s idea of power becoming banal and accepted.

In response to this absurdity of power, many Congolese in addition to protesting, use humor and satire as coping mechanisms. Comedians and artists use satire to critique the government. However, it also underscores the normalization of absurdity, where the population finds humor in the very structures that oppress them, while other people publicly praise the government just for the sake of preserving their own safety and interests even though they may be in disagreement with the regime. This duality echoes Mbembe’s notion that the grotesque is not merely a form of resistance but also a means of navigating a reality where oppression has become banal; “if subjection appears more intense than it might be, it is because the subjects of the commandment have internalized the authoritarian epistemology to the point where they reproduce it themselves in all the minor circumstances of daily life” (Mbembe, 1992, p. 42).

In Conclusion, Mbembe’s explanation of the banality of power gives us a critical perspective of how power operates in a way that normalizes violence and oppression as a routine in postcolonial societies. The political arena of the Democratic Republic of the Congo provides a perfect example of the banality of power, as power structures have been shaped and practiced in a way that normalizes; oppression, corruption, violence and control, shaping a complex relationship between the Congolese government and its citizens.