The government of Congo-Brazzaville has firmly rejected recent claims of a coup attempt against President Denis Nguesso, who has held uninterrupted office for an astonishing 39 years.
These allegations emerged on social media, suggesting a coordinated effort by the military to oust the 79-year-old leader from power. At the time of these rumours, President Nguesso was in New York, participating in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In response to these assertions, Information Minister Thierry Moungalla took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to unequivocally dispel them, declaring, “The government categorically denies the spread of false information. We wish to reassure the public of the prevailing tranquillity and encourage everyone to carry on with their daily activities calmly.”
The government’s official website also released a statement reiterating its rejection of any reports related to an attempted coup.
Recent months have witnessed a surge in coup d’états across the African continent, with the most recent incident occurring in neighbouring Gabon, where military forces assumed control in August.
Denis Nguesso initially ascended to the presidency of this oil-rich Central African nation through a military coup in 1979. While he faced a temporary setback in 1992 when he lost Congo’s initial multi-party elections, he later reclaimed power in 1997 following a period of civil conflict.