Congo Refutes Claims of Coup Attempt

The government of Congo-Brazzaville has strongly denied recent allegations of a coup attempt against President Denis Nguesso, who has held the presidency for an uninterrupted 39-year period.

These accusations emerged on various social media platforms, suggesting a coordinated effort by the military to oust the 79-year-old leader from his position. President Nguesso was in New York at the time these rumors surfaced, participating in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In response to these claims, Information Minister Thierry Moungalla used the platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday to firmly dismiss them, stating, “The government unequivocally refutes the dissemination of false information. We want to assure the public that peace prevails, and we encourage everyone to continue their daily activities calmly.”

The official government website also published a statement reiterating its rejection of any reports related to an attempted coup.

In recent months, there has been a surge in coup attempts across the African continent, with the most recent incident occurring in neighboring Gabon, where military forces assumed control in August.

Denis Nguesso came to power in this oil-rich Central African nation through a military coup in 1979. Although he faced a temporary setback in 1992 when he lost the initial multi-party elections in Congo, he later regained power in 1997 following a period of civil conflict.