Questions Surround Congo President’s Re-election: Violence Continues

Republic of Congo (ROC) President Denis Sassou Nguesso won re-election in 2016, but activists and political opponents have contested his legitimacy through the court system, and the government actively targets opposition members through violence and arrest, according to The Washington Post.

Republic of Congo (ROC) President Denis Sassou Nguesso won re-election in 2016, but activists and political opponents have contested his legitimacy through the court system, and the government actively targets opposition members through violence and arrest, according to The Washington Post.

Nguesso claims he is combating terrorist incursions, but critics believe the president has resorted to brutality to squash opposition. The courts deemed Nguesso’s election to be legitimate on April 4, as he won 60% of the vote, and the president became eligible to participate in future elections due to 2015 constitutional changes. Nguesso has ruled the country since 1979.

Nguesso’s re-election is indicative of the growing number of African leaders throughout the continent staying beyond their official term limits and fueling instability and resentment among citizens and political opponents, and ROC is no exception.

The central African country is among the wealthiest in Africa in terms of natural resources, but suffers from political turmoil that prevents the economy from advancing further, although the nation has enjoyed relative success from oil production. With that, ROC retains a poor infrastructure base, keeping away many foreign investors who could have contributed to development.

ROC obtained independence from France in the 1960s, but underwent political shortfalls and accumulated heavy debt throughout the decades. The government privatized portions of its economy in the 1980s to qualify for IMF and World Bank loans, and while the money enhanced the economy in certain areas; the agreements did little in producing long-term benefits.

Quality jobs remain scant, and the economy offers little hope in lifting the poor, especially young people, out of a harsh existence. ROC has a thriving young population that could have proved attractive to outside investors looking for a strong workforce.  

ROC will struggle through a low-priced energy climate, as the country remains distracted by political battles morphing into widespread violence. The government’s war is also being waged on the citizenry, with government helicopters bombing certain villages to eliminate alleged terrorists, killing many innocents in the process.

Many villages have been abandoned, with people fleeing their homes in search of safety, harkening back to the country’s war-torn past. A civil war took place in 1997 in which Nguesso regained power through a coup and has ruled since. The latest bout of violence is devolving far beyond political turmoil and into a humanitarian emergency that could have grave implications for ROC and the entire region.

Moreover, ROC has an atrocious human rights record, especially as pygmy inhabitants are routinely mistreated and kept as slaves. Such human rights abuses and high levels of violence are among many factors holding back ROC and other nations in the region, and no sign of peace appears on the horizon thus far.