Africa

Sassou Nguesso Secures Fifth Term with Landslide Victory

Congo-Brazzaville leader extends decades-long rule amid questions over succession

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17 Mar, 2026

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Congo-Brazzaville’s long-serving president, Denis Sassou Nguesso, has been re-elected with an overwhelming majority, securing nearly 95% of the vote according to provisional results.

The outcome of Sunday’s election extends his rule—spanning more than four decades—for another five-year term in the oil-rich Central African nation. Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou announced that Sassou Nguesso received 94.8% of the vote, with turnout reported at 84.65%.

The results remain subject to validation by the Constitutional Court, although the fragmented and largely absent opposition has cast limited doubt on the outcome.

At 82, Sassou Nguesso campaigned on his economic record, highlighting infrastructure development and efforts to diversify the economy through gas and agriculture. Despite reliance on oil and gas revenues, the country’s growth is projected at 2.9% for 2025.

While the constitution bars him from seeking another term in 2031, the question of succession remains unresolved. The president has indicated he will eventually step aside, but has nure in Congolese politics, Sassou Nguesso first came to power in 1979, briefly lost office in the early 1990s, and returned following a civil war in 1997. He has since maintained a firm grip on power through successive elections.

Source: TRT Africa