Congo begins vote count as President Denis Sassou N’Guesso eyes fifth term

Vote counting is underway in the Republic of Congo following a presidential election that could extend President Denis Sassou N’Guesso’s rule for a fifth consecutive term. Polls closed on Sunday, with official results expected within two weeks.

The election was marked by low voter turnout, as many citizens expressed skepticism that the vote would bring political change after more than four decades of leadership by the 82-year-old incumbent. Several opposition parties had called for a boycott of the polls.

Six other candidates contested the presidency in the oil-rich Central African nation, but analysts say none is likely to pose a serious challenge to Sassou N’Guesso, who is running under the banner of the Congolese Party of Labor.

Sassou N’Guesso first took power in 1979 and ruled until 1992, when he oversaw the country’s first multiparty elections. He returned to power after the Second Republic of the Congo Civil War (1997) and has remained in office since. A 2015 constitutional referendum removed presidential age and term limits, allowing him to run again.

The election comes as the Republic of the Congo faces mounting economic challenges, including high public debt and rising youth unemployment. More than half of the country’s 5.7 million people live in poverty, while nearly half the population is under 18.

If confirmed, Sassou N’Guesso’s victory would reinforce a broader pattern of long-serving African leaders maintaining their grip on power, alongside figures such as Paul Biya of Cameroon and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.