Denis Sassou-N'Guesso has been re-elected president of the Republic of Congo for a fifth term.
At 82, he remains one of the longest-serving African leaders, having accumulated more than forty years in power, intermittently since 1979.
The Constitutional Court confirmed his victory on Saturday with 94.90% of the vote, rejecting appeals from his opponents, including Uphrem Dave Mafoula. Two major parties had even boycotted the election, denouncing irregularities and a clear imbalance: the Congolese Labour Party, led by Sassou-N'Guesso, dominated the campaign, while the streets of Brazzaville were covered with portraits and posters of the outgoing president.
A 2015 constitutional referendum, which removed age and presidential term limits, paved the way for this new candidacy. Sassou-N'Guesso now ranks among the African heads of state with the longest terms, after Paul Biya in Cameroon and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in Equatorial Guinea.
The country, rich in oil but grappling with a colossal debt representing 94.5% of its gross domestic product and soaring youth unemployment, remains marked by profound social inequalities. More than half of its 5.7 million inhabitants live below the poverty line, and nearly 50% are under 18, highlighting the economic and social challenges the president will face in this new term.
