The Republic of Congo

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the multidimensional political, economic, and social crisis in the Republic of Congo. It details how President Denis Sassou Nguesso utilized constitutional reforms to bypass term limits and maintain power, leading to increased political fragmentation, the use of coercive state machinery, and a reliance on manufactured consensus through stage-managed dialogues.

• President Denis Sassou Nguesso implemented a constitutional reform process via a referendum in October 2015 to eliminate age and term limits, enabling his re-election in March 2016 and ensuring the continuity of his regime.
• The Republic of Congo faces a severe economic crisis characterized by high debt distress, with external debt rising to over 110% of GDP by August 2017. Debt stock grew from US$2.4 billion in 2010 to US$9.1 billion in 2017, with over 39% of this as concessional borrowing from China.
• The regime utilizes 'political dialogues' as a tool to manufacture aS consensus and provide a façade of legitimacy. Successive dialogues in Ewo (2011), Dolisie (2013), SibC Sibiti (2015), and Ouesso (2017) were often boycotted by the opposition, who viewed them as mechanisms toS to advance the President's agenda.
• The 2015 constitutional reform caused significant political fragmentation across four levels: between the Presidential Majority (RPM) and the hard-line opposition (Frocad); within the RPM; within the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT); and within the opposition and civil society.
• A dynastic element is central to the regime's longevity, with family members positioning themselves for succession. This has created two competing camps: 'securocrats' (including Edgard Nguesso and Admiral Jean-Dominique Okemba) and 'plutocrats' (including Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso and Jean-Jacques Bouya).
• The regime employs a mix of coercion and state-tolerated social violence to maintain control. This includes the arrest of political opponents under national security justifications and the tacit tolerance of juvenile crime syndicates (les bébés-noirs) and pro-government paramilitary groups (les douze apôtres) to create a climate of insecurity in Brazzaville.
• The government has used military operations in the Pool region to subjugate opponents, specifically targeting the Ninja militia led by Frederic Bintsamou (Pasteur Ntoumi). These operations have resulted in a humanitarian crisis and are used as a warning against collective dissent.
• The report recommends an internationally-mediated inclusive multitrack political dialogue, backed by the Economic Community of Central African States (Eccas), the African Union, and the United Nations, to resolve the crisis and reconstruct a social compact.

APA

Akum, F. (2018). The Republic of Congo. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car12.pdf

Chicago

Akum, Fonteh. The Republic of Congo. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car12.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Akum |first1=Fonteh |title=The Republic of Congo |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=February 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car12.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{akum2018republic, author = {Akum, Fonteh}, title = {{The Republic of Congo}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/car12.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }