Nothing changes': Four decades in power, Congo's Nguesso seeks a new term

"While Congo is the third largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, about half the country's population of about six million people live below the poverty line. A few metres away, Gilbert, 44, shared similar sentiments. The civil servant explained that his salary is not enough to cover all his household expenses. I do odd jobs to supplement my income."

"President Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, who is once again standing in the election, first came to power in Congo in 1979. After a period of political transition in the early 1990s, he returned to the presidency in 1997 after a civil war and has ruled the country without interruption ever since."

"Some call it stability. Others say that nothing changes. It's a sentiment shared by many in the country: That after 40 years under a single leader, political continuity has become the norm."

Republic of Congo maintains relative stability through prolonged political continuity rather than genuine democratic consolidation. President Denis Sassou Nguesso has dominated politics for over 40 years, first taking power in 1979, returning in 1997 after civil war, and ruling continuously since. Despite being Africa's third-largest oil producer, approximately half of Congo's six million population lives below the poverty line. Citizens express widespread disillusionment with elections, viewing them as ineffective in improving living conditions. Constitutional revisions in 2002 and 2015 have reinforced existing power structures. Voters perceive elections as ritualistic rather than transformative, with many believing leadership and governance patterns remain fundamentally unchanged regardless of electoral outcomes.

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