Congolese president inaugurates Chinese-built shopping center

BRAZZAVILLE, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso on Wednesday inaugurated a shopping center believed to be the country's largest in Brazzaville, the Congolese capital.

The shopping center, located in Mpila, in the 5th district of Brazzaville, is based on the former site of military barracks destroyed by explosions in March 2012. The shopping center was built by China Jiangsu International.

After cutting the symbolic ribbon marking the commissioning of the shopping center, the president unveiled the inaugural plaque and inspected the shopping center in the company of other Congolese authorities and Chinese Ambassador to Congo Li Yan.

For Dieudonne Bantsimba, the mayor of Brazzaville, this center, which is called "Brazza Mall," represents an economic and tourist hub where commercial activities will be developed.

Apart from "Brazza Mall," there are also several buildings built as part of the reconstruction of the area that is a stone's throw from the Congo River.

Jean-Jacques Bouya, the Congolese minister in charge of regional planning and infrastructure, declared that "Brazza Mall" and adjacent infrastructure are the symbol of the rebirth of Mpila. "This center is a commercial showcase," he said.