Congo: The Reality Behind Allegations of a Coup Attempt

The Congolese government has firmly dismissed recent rumors of a coup d’état against President Denis Nguesso, who has been in power for 39 consecutive years. These suggestions of a military effort to overthrow the 79-year-old leader came to light on social media when he was in New York for the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

In response to the accusations, the country’s Information Minister Thierry Moungalla took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to refute any claims of a coup, assuring the public that the political situation remained unchanged. The government website likewise published a statement confirming the same message.

This month alone, there have been multiple coup attempts throughout Africa, the most recent of which occurred in neighboring Gabon, where military forces seized control in August.

Prior to reuniting with the presidency in 1997, Nguesso initially gained power after a coup in 1979, four years after the official start of multi-party elections in the oil-rich Central African nation. However, his incumbency was briefly interrupted in the 1992 vote, when he suffered a democratic defeat.