Republic of Congo cuts internet as Sassou set to extend decades-long rule

Authorities in the Republic of Congo have cut internet access as the country votes Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to hand 82-year-old Denis Sassou Nguesso another five-year term and extend his decades-long grip on power.

Two of the country’s best-known opposition leaders are behind bars, while others live in exile. Several major parties are boycotting the ballot, arguing the process lacks credibility and is controlled by the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT). Sassou faces six little-known challengers, none viewed as serious threats.

“The opposition is fragmented and lacks a strong, emblematic figure,” said Remadji Hoinathy of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies. Analysts expect turnout to drop below the nearly 68% recorded in 2021, when Sassou claimed 88.4% of the vote.

Rights groups have documented a narrowing of political space in recent years, including arrests of activists and suspensions of parties. Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso has rejected bias claims, insisting oversight bodies will guarantee a transparent process.

Decades of continuity amid economic challenges

Sassou first seized power in 1979 in the oil-producing Central African nation and has ruled almost without interruption since, save for a five-year hiatus in the 1990s. He has campaigned on continuity, promising faster development, expanded education and professional training.

Yet the economy, heavily reliant on oil, has stabilized only after years of downturn. According to the World Bank, 52% of the country’s 6.1 million people still live in poverty.

Many ordinary Congolese express resignation. “It’s an election whose outcome is known in advance,” said Frédéric Nkou, an unemployed resident of Brazzaville. “I don’t expect things to improve.”

Provisional results are anticipated within 48 to 72 hours after polls close. The vote marks what could be Sassou’s last term under current rules, though previous constitutional changes have allowed him to run despite age and term limits.

Some observers note growing discussion of succession, including the rising profile of his son Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso.

REUTERS