Congo-Brazzaville’s long-serving president, Denis Sassou Nguesso, has been declared winner of the country’s March 15 presidential election with an overwhelming 94.9 percent of the vote, according to the constitutional court.
Announcing the results during a public hearing, court president Auguste Iloki said Sassou Nguesso secured an absolute majority on a turnout of 65.9 percent, earning him a fresh five-year mandate.
The victory further extends the 82-year-old leader’s grip on power in the oil-rich Central African nation, where he has ruled for most of the past four decades.
The election outcome, however, has once again been rejected by opposition figures. One of the candidates, Dave Mafoula, formally petitioned the court to annul the results, but his request was dismissed.
Sassou Nguesso first came to power in 1979 under a one-party system and remained in office until 1992, when he lost the country’s first multi-party election. He later returned to power in 1997 after a civil war that saw him overthrow the elected government.
Since 2002, he has secured re-election five times in polls consistently criticised by the opposition as lacking transparency and credibility.
The former paratrooper colonel ranks among Africa’s longest-serving leaders, alongside Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and Paul Biya.
While his administration is credited with maintaining a degree of stability, rights groups have repeatedly accused the government of clamping down on dissent and targeting opposition figures.
Two prominent challengers from the 2016 election are currently serving 20-year prison sentences after being convicted of posing a threat to internal security.
Under the current constitution, Sassou Nguesso is barred from seeking another term beyond 2031, when his latest mandate is set to expire.
