An enunciative and rhetorical study of the "diplomatic 'we'" based on the case of Denis Sassou N'Guesso: Major speeches from the first seven-year term (2002–2009) Claudia Lemboumba Sassou N'Guesso
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55595/dbv29v70CAR2026Keywords:
This article analyzes the diplomaticAbstract
This article analyzes the diplomatic "we" in speeches delivered by President Denis Sassou Nguesso (hereinafter DSN) during his first seven-year term (2002–2009). The study examines the use of the pronoun "we" and the possessives "our" (notre/nos), through which the individual speaker (the President) effaces himself in favor of one or more collective entities such as the Congolese people, Central Africa, the African continent, or the international community the contours of which vary depending on the speaking context. Adopting an enunciative approach, the text explores how the pronoun "we" constructs DSN’s ethos.
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