BRAZZAVILLE: Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso has won re-election with 94.82% of the vote, state television said, extending his decades-long rule in a poll criticised by opposition figures and rights groups.
Sassou, 82, faced six relatively unknown challengers after major opposition parties boycotted the election, citing a lack of transparency. Two prominent opposition figures, Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and André Okombi Salissa, have remained in detention for years.
Diplomats and analysts had widely expected an easy victory in a race tightly controlled by the ruling Congolese Labour Party.
Human rights activists reported arrests ahead of Sunday’s vote, while several opposition parties were suspended and public gatherings restricted, according to campaigners.
Voting was also affected by logistical issues, including late openings at some polling stations and a nationwide internet blackout on election day.
State media put turnout at 84.65%, although observers reported low voter presence in parts of the capital, Brazzaville.
Sassou’s nearest challenger, Mabio Mavoungou Zinga, secured 1.48% of the vote.
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Candidates have five days to lodge appeals, after which the Constitutional Court is expected to validate the final results within 15 days.
A former paratrooper, Sassou first took power in 1979. He lost Congo’s first multi-party election in 1992 but returned to office in 1997 following a civil war.
A 2015 constitutional reform removed presidential term and age limits, allowing him to extend his rule. His latest term is expected to be his last, bringing increased attention to succession within the ruling party.
The oil-dependent economy has stabilised following a prolonged downturn, supported by an International Monetary Fund programme completed last year. However, more than half of the population still lives in poverty, according to the World Bank, with limited access to basic services.
The country has also faced longstanding corruption allegations, including investigations by French and U.S. authorities into assets linked to members of Sassou’s family.
