Brazzaville: President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday joined other African leaders to witness the investiture of Congo's President Denis Sassou N'Guesso for a new five-year term. The ceremony took place in a packed stadium in Kint©l©, a town north of the capital city of Brazzaville.
According to Ghana News Agency, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also attended the event. President Sassou N'Guesso, born in 1943, is the third-longest serving African leader, after Cameroon's President Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. President N'Guesso first assumed the presidency in 1979 after being installed by the military but lost his position in the first multi-party elections in 1992. He returned to power in 1997 following a brief civil war.
A 2015 referendum removed presidential age and term limits, allowing Sassou N'Guesso to remain eligible for office. Congo Brazzaville, a Central African nation with a 2021 GDP of $18.875 billion, relies heavily on petroleum, which constitutes the majority of its exports. The capital, Brazzaville, is located on the Congo River, and the nation gained independence from France on August 15, 1960.
The country operates as a presidential republic with a bicameral parliament, comprising a 72-seat Senate and a 151-seat National Assembly. Congo's population is estimated at 6.64 million, with 69.7% residing in urban areas, primarily Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. Apart from petroleum, other significant industries include timber, cement, and brewing. President Mahama has since returned home.