Congo Begins Vote Count as Sassou Nguesso Poised to Extend Decades in Power

Vote counting is underway in the Republic of Congo following Sunday’s presidential election that could see the re-election of long-serving President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (06:00 GMT) and closed at 6 p.m. (17:00 GMT).

More than 3.2 million Congolese were registered to vote, though analysts and civil society groups expected turnout to fall below the nearly 68 percent recorded in the 2021 election, when Sassou Nguesso secured 88.4 percent of the vote.

The 82-year-old leader faced a weak field of challengers, with two of the country’s most prominent opposition figures imprisoned and several opposition parties boycotting the vote.

Six candidates are officially running against Sassou Nguesso, but the opposition remains divided and largely absent from the contest, leaving the incumbent widely expected to secure another five-year term. Analysts say none of the challengers pose a significant threat to the veteran leader, who has dominated the country’s politics for decades.

Sassou Nguesso first seized power in 1979 and has ruled almost continuously since, apart from a five-year break during the 1990s.

After casting his ballot on Sunday, Sassou Nguesso said he remained confident that the support he received during the campaign would translate into victory.

During the campaign, the president highlighted his government’s economic record, including efforts to modernize infrastructure and expand the gas and agricultural sectors in a bid to make the country more self-sufficient.

The Republic of Congo is the third-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa and also exports liquefied natural gas. However, rights groups say the country remains one of the region’s most politically restrictive environments, with Freedom House giving it a score of 17 out of 100 in its global.