Denis Sassou N’Guesso Sworn in for Another Term in Republic of Congo, Extending 42-year Rule

President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou N'Guesso casts his ballot at a polling station in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo, on March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Vivace Mambouana, File)

By LOUIS OKAMBA

Updated 3:59 PM EDT, April 16, 2026

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP) — Denis Sassou N’Guesso was sworn in Thursday to a new five-year term as the Republic of Congo’s president in a ceremony in a packed stadium.

The inauguration took place in Kintélé, a town north of the capital city of Brazzaville.

Sassou N’Guesso was reelected in March with 94.8% of the vote, extending his 42-year rule over the oil-rich Central African country. He ran against six relatively unknown candidates.

In his inaugural speech, he said he would not “betray the people who mobilized to honor him and reaffirm their support.”

The Central African country is struggling with a sky-high debt-to-GDP ratio - which measures a country’s debt compared to its economic output - according to the World Bank, and climbing youth unemployment.

Sassou N’Guesso is the third-longest ruling African leader, after Cameroon ’s Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea ’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. A 2015 referendum removed presidential age limits and term limits, allowing Sassou N’Guesso to remain eligible for office.