Republic of the Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, says he does not plan to stay in power forever, but declined to name a possible successor as he campaigns for re-election in the March 15 presidential vote.
Sassou Nguesso, who has ruled the oil-rich country for more than four decades in total, faces six challengers. Speaking in the southern city of Dolisie, he argued that long-serving leaders can provide stability, especially in countries where literacy levels remain low.
The president first took power in 1979 under a one-party system, lost the country’s first multi-party election in 1992 to Pascal Lissouba, and returned to office after a 1997 civil war. Since 2002, opposition groups have contested his electoral victories.
Despite the country’s oil wealth, nearly half of Congo’s six million people live below the poverty line. Sassou Nguesso and his family have faced corruption allegations, which authorities dismiss as attempts to destabilise the nation. He defended his record, pointing to investments in roads, ports, universities, and agriculture.
Two former presidential candidates — Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and Andre Okombi Salissa — remain imprisoned on national security charges. Sassou Nguesso rejected the label of “opponents,” claiming they were preparing armed action, but said they would not remain jailed forever.
If he wins, this would be his final five-year term under the constitution. However, he avoided discussing who might succeed him, saying the focus is on preparing the country’s future rather than grooming a specific individual.
Source: TRT AFRICA
