Forty years in power: in Congo-Brazzaville, elections are not scheduled until 2026, but everything seems to indicate that octogenarian Denis Sassou-Nguesso will be a candidate again. “He makes no secret of it”a diplomat told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
In the whirlwind of coups d’état which have shaken Africa since 2020, in particular former French colonies (Mali, Burkina, Niger, Gabon, etc.), a rumor spread in September 2023 on social networks claiming that A putsch was underway in Brazzaville.
Read also | In Congo-Brazzaville, the endless reign of Denis Sassou-Nguesso
Add to your selections
But all was calm in the oil-producing country of Denis Sassou-Nguesso, 80, a soldier who first led Congo under single-party rule, from 1979 to 1992, then returned to business After a civil war in 1997.
Elected in 2002, re-elected in 2009, he was able to run and win the presidential elections of 2016 and 2021, after a change in the Constitution which in 2015 raised the age limit (70 years) and increased the possible number of candidates to three. five-year terms.
“The lack of vision of political actors”
He is among those who are described as “dinosaurs” on the continent, but “the Congolese regime is still there”while younger people were swept away “by pro-Russian juntas”notes the government spokesperson and Minister of Communication, Thierry Moungalla.
“Clearance has never led to anything”also believes Perfect Iloki, spokesperson for the presidential party, the Congolese Labor Party (PCT, formerly Marxist-Leninist, now social-democratic).
As for old age, “it’s not a problem, it’s wisdom”does he think. “Besides, how old is the president of the world’s leading power? », quips Mr. Iloki, in an allusion to the 81st birthday of American President Joe Biden. The recent election in Senegal of a president ” anti-system “ of 44 years old was also observed in Congo with a touch of envy but without illusion.
Read also | “The Republic of Congo, like French diplomacy, must reconnect with democracy”
Add to your selections
“Senegal has a democratic tradition”comments Chaplain Jonas Koudissa, director of the Brazzaville Catholic Academy for Ethics (Accabe). “Here I don’t see how a change of this nature could happen”continues the abbot, deploring “the lack of vision of political actors”who take advantage of their situation but do not care about the future of their country, of which 47% of the 5.7 million inhabitants are under 18 years old according to the World Bank.
“Overall, we are regressing”even says Maixent Animba, of the Forum for Governance and Human Rights (FGDH). “In terms of freedom of expression, access to state media, the right to demonstrate, recognition of parties and NGOs”lists the activist, who also cites “electoral fraud”, “the squandering and embezzlement of public funds”Justice “to orders”, “the privatization of the country”…
“Where is the money going?” »
According to him, “the screw has been tightened” after 2015, when demonstrations against the change of Constitution took place “mobilized a lot” and “the regime realized that it was hanging by a thread”. “We are not afraid, but we are careful”adds Mr. Animba. “Here, we pay attention to what we say, otherwise we end up in trouble”confirms in his own way and under cover of anonymity a taxi driver, convinced that “Sassou will never leave”.
Follow us on WhatsApp
Stay informed
Receive the essential African news on WhatsApp with the “Monde Afrique” channel
Join
“We want new blood!” »says Eveline, 55, who came to do her shopping at the Total market, the largest in Brazzaville. “One clan has a lot of money, but we don’t. (…) There is no work, our children’s diplomas are sleeping at home, we cannot get treatment…”
Read also | After years of estrangement, the reunion of Gabon and Congo at the grave of Edith Bongo
Add to your selections
Along the muddy alleys of the market, everyone talks about how life is too expensive and difficult, especially since the price of fuel has increased in recent months – in the name of “price truth” advocated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the government spokesperson.
Brazzaville residents also deplore the frequent electricity and water cuts, wondering “where does the money go” petrol. “There is a very poor use of money”estimates the leader of the opposition, Pascal Tsaty Mabiala, who castigates “flashy projects”like these two thirty-story twin towers which have just been added to the capital located on the right bank of the Congo River.
He also thinks that Denis Sassou-Nguesso will run again in 2026. Faced with an all-powerful PCT, the opposition is fragmented, muzzled, without resources. “We are a little tense, as if we lack confidence in ourselves”regrets the opponent.
