Republic of Congo vote overshadowed by blackout, poverty concerns

Life in the Republic of Congo is returning to normal days after a high-stakes presidential election expected to extend the decades-long rule of President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

However, the vote has been marred by controversy, including a nationwide internet blackout on election day. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported a sharp drop in connectivity across the country, raising concerns about transparency and access to information during the poll.

For many citizens, the outage had an immediate human impact. Guy Moumkala, a newspaper seller, said the disruption cut off communication between families. “We needed to stay in touch to know what was happening,” he explained, highlighting the uncertainty felt during the vote.

During his campaign, Sassou Nguesso pointed to infrastructure development and efforts to expand the gas and agriculture sectors as key achievements aimed at making the country more self-sufficient. Yet despite these initiatives, more than half of the population continues to live below the poverty line.

Éric Mukobo, a sculptor, described the daily struggle to make ends meet. “We live day to day… we have to make a sale every day to feed our children,” he said, adding that the election disruption prevented him from working.

Critics argue that the country’s economic growth has been undermined by the alleged diversion of oil revenues by senior officials.

Although six candidates ran against Sassou Nguesso, the race was widely seen as uncompetitive. Key opposition figures were either imprisoned or in exile, and several parties boycotted the vote, citing a lack of credibility in the electoral process.