President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in the Republic of the Congo to attend the inauguration of long-serving Congolese leader Denis Sassou Nguesso, who begins a fifth consecutive term in office, extending his rule to more than four decades.
Mahama joins a number of African leaders in Brazzaville, including Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye and president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, as Nguesso officially commences another five-year mandate following his landslide electoral victory.
Nguesso secured 94.8% of the vote in the March 2026 presidential election, according to official results confirmed by the Constitutional Court, extending his tenure to 42 years in power, one of the longest in Africa. Major opposition parties boycotted the election, citing transparency concerns, while the closest challenger secured just about 1.5% of the vote.
Denis Sassou Nguesso first came to power in 1979 through a military coup, ruling the country until 1992 when he lost the Republic of Congo’s first multi-party elections. He later returned to power in 1997 following a civil war that ended with his forces defeating then-President Pascal Lissouba.
Since his return to office in 1997, Nguesso has won successive presidential elections in 2002, 2009, 2016, 2021 and now 2026, consolidating political dominance in the oil-rich Central African nation.
In the 2002 election, Sassou Nguesso won with over 89% of the vote following a transitional period after the civil conflict, amid opposition boycotts and allegations of irregularities.
He again secured victory in 2009 with approximately 78% of the vote, strengthening his political grip and extending his leadership under the Congolese Labour Party.
In 2016, following a controversial constitutional referendum that removed presidential age and term limits, Nguesso won another term with roughly 60% of the vote, amid protests and political tension.
The 2021 election saw Sassou Nguesso secure 88.4% of the vote, with opposition parties again raising concerns over fairness, restricted campaigning and internet shutdowns during the voting period.
Economically, the Republic of Congo remains heavily dependent on oil, which accounts for about half of the country’s GDP and roughly 80% of exports, making it one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s major oil producers.
Despite its oil wealth, the country has faced economic challenges, including a decline in income per capita between 2015 and 2023 following oil price shocks, rising debt levels and limited economic diversification.
Recent World Bank projections indicate modest economic growth of about 2.6% in 2024 and 2.9% expected in 2025, though poverty reduction has largely stalled, with more than half of the population still living in difficult economic conditions.
As Sassou Nguesso begins his fifth consecutive term, analysts say the focus is shifting toward succession planning, governance reforms and economic diversification, as the 82-year-old leader remains one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents in modern political history.
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