Beirut: President John Dramani Mahama joined other African leaders on Thursday to witness the investiture of Congo's President Denis Sassou N'Guesso for a new five-year term. The event was held in a packed stadium in Kint©l©, a town north of Brazzaville, the capital city of Congo.
According to Ghana News Agency, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was also present at the ceremony. President Sassou N'Guesso, born in 1943, holds the position as the third-longest serving African leader, following Cameroon's President Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Sassou N'Guesso initially became president in 1979, installed by the military, only to lose his position in the first multi-party elections in 1992. He returned to power in 1997 following a brief civil war. A referendum in 2015 removed both presidential age limits and term limits, enabling him to remain eligible for office.
Congo Brazzaville is situated in Central Africa and had a GDP of $18.875 billion in 2021. The country is heavily dependent on petroleum, which makes up the majority of its exports. The capital, Brazzaville, is located on the Congo River. Congo gained independence from France on August 15, 1960. It is governed as a Presidential republic with a bicameral parliament consisting of a 72-seat Senate and a 151-seat National Assembly. The population of Congo is estimated at 6.64 million, with 69.7% residing in urban areas, mainly in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Apart from its dominant petroleum sector, other industries include timber, cement, and brewing.
President Mahama has since returned to Ghana after attending the investiture ceremony.