Brazzaville: Denis Sassou Nguesso’s 40-year rule in Congo-Brazzaville has fueled debate over the age of the president, with the African “dinosaur” expected to win the next election in 2026.
The former paratrooper was president of Congo-Brazzaville under a one-party regime from 1979 to 1992, returned to office in 1997 after the civil war, and has dominated politics ever since.
Sassou Nguesso, known as “The Emperor”, is officially 80 years old and is expected to run for a fifth term in 2026 if he is still healthy.
“He didn’t hide it,” the diplomat told AFP.
Rumors of a possible coup follow coups that have rocked the Sahel since 2020, including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon last September. But all is quiet in the oil-producing country.
After successive elections in 2002 and 2009, Sassou Nguesso retained the presidency in 2016 and 2021, in 2015 the constitution was amended to increase the age limit from the original 70 years and increase the number of five-year terms to three.
