82-year-old Nguesso re-elected in Congo, extends 42-year rule

Republic of Congo – President, Denis Sassou Nguesso, has been re-elected for a fifth consecutive term, extending his nearly 42-year rule, according to provisional results announced on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Raymond Zephirin Mboulou, speaking on state television, said Sassou Nguesso received 94.82 percent of Sunday’s vote, Aljazeera reports.

The 82-year-old incumbent faced six lesser-known candidates, with analysts and diplomats widely predicting his victory.

Voter turnout in the capital, Brazzaville, was notably low, with short or nonexistent lines at polling stations.

Read more: 82-year-old Sassou N’Guesso predicted to return to power as vote counting begins in Congo presidential election

Two major opposition parties boycotted the election, citing allegations of unfair electoral practices.

Prominent opposition figures, including General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and Andre Okombi Salissa, remain imprisoned, some for nearly a decade.

In the days leading up to the election, internet access was cut off nationwide—a recurring practice during presidential votes—and traffic was heavily restricted across Brazzaville.

Observers noted a stark imbalance during the campaign period.

Sassou Nguesso was the only candidate actively traveling across the country to canvass voters, while opposition activities faced tight restrictions, including arrests of human rights activists, suspension of several opposition parties, and close monitoring of public gatherings, according to human rights activist Joe Washington Ebina.

Sassou Nguesso first assumed power in 1979 and has since remained a dominant figure in Congolese politics, consolidating authority despite recurring domestic and international criticism of electoral fairness.

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