Congo — Brazzaville’s President Sassou Nguesso Eyes Fifth Term Amidst Controversy. City, Country — Brazzaville, Republic of Congo — March 15, 2026 The Republic of Congo is set to hold elections on Sunday, with incumbent President Dennis Sassou Nguesso seeking a fifth consecutive term.
The 82-year-old leader is widely expected to extend his over four-decade rule in the oil-rich nation, despite opposition boycotts and international concerns over the credibility of the electoral process.
Three million people are registered to vote in the polls, with Sassou Nguesso facing six candidates.
However, the opposition is divided and largely absent, with two of the country’s best-known opposition leaders currently in prison. Several opposition parties have boycotted the vote, arguing that the process lacks credibility.
During the election campaign, which concluded on Friday, Sassou Nguesso toured the country, backed by the ruling Congolese Workers’Party (PCT).
He urged voters to participate in the ballot, which is set to be followed by a second round if necessary, theoretically three weeks later.
The date for the announcement of the first round’s results has not yet been confirmed.
The president highlighted security issues during his final election gathering in Brazzaville, attended by thousands of enthusiastic supporters. While he has claimed to have brought stability to the country, rights groups have regularly criticized what they describe as the persecution of opposition activists. Opposition figures General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and Andre Okombi Salissa, who were prominent in the 2016 election campaign, were sentenced to 20 years in prison for being a “threat to internal security.”.
The president also emphasized his economic record during the campaign, pushing for the modernization of the country’s infrastructure and development of the gas and agriculture sectors. Oil and gas, which provide most of the state revenue, are estimated to drive growth at 2. 9 percent for 2025.
However, more than half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line. Critics argue that the country’s growth has been undermined by massive amounts of state oil revenue siphoned into the bank accounts of senior officials. While Sassou Nguesso’s re-election appears assured, the constitution forbids him from running again in 2031, raising questions about a possible handover.
He has stated he will not remain “in power for ever “and that the younger generation would get their turn, though he has not named a potential successor. Sassou Nguesso first led Congo-Brazzaville under a one-party system from 1979 to 1992 before losing the first multi-party elections, which he then overthrew in a civil war in 1997. He was re-elected in 2002, 2009, 2016, and 2021, with the opposition alleging the votes were neither transparent nor democratic.
The former French colony, which gained independence in 1960, has traditionally maintained close ties with both France and Russia.
As the third — largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, Congo-Brazzaville heavily depends on hydrocarbons, which account for more than three-quarters of export earnings. Voting stations will open at 7:00 am local time, closing at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT).
