The country initially enjoyed a period of relative stability under Sassou-Nguesso, and the PCT reelected him to the presidency in 1984 and again in 1989. He presided over a large parade in Brazzaville, featuring thousands of soldiers and civilians, to celebrate the anniversary on 15 August 2010. Mais, cela ne voudrait pas dire que la guerre menée contre lui et plusieurs dignitaires congolais, par divers Services occidentaux qui manipulent certains congolais, est … ©Benoit Tessier/Reuters Denis Sassou Nguesso, running for a fourth term in the 21 March presidential election, earlier this month built his campaign team around Pierre Moussa, secretary-general of the ruling Parti Congolais du Travail (PCT) and former head of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa … [27], President of the Republic of the Congo (1997-present, 1979-1992), 1979–1991: First three presidential terms, 1992–1997: First Civil War and Election Campaigns, 1997–2008: Second Civil War and Return to Presidency, 2009–2016: Re-election and constitutional referendum. In Florida, US federal prosecutors took steps to seize a Miami penthouse of Denis Christel Sassou-Nguesso, son of Republic of Congo’s president, a sitting member of parliament and former powerful figure in the national oil company, SNPC. Denis Sassou Nguesso’s longevity in power (thirty-six years accumulated over two consecutive terms then separated by a period of five years) has a lot to do with why he has earned this nickname, as well as his strict discipline as a former parachutist officer and the impeccable cut of his suits. At the PCT's Fourth Ordinary Congress on 26–31 July 1989, Sassou Nguesso was re-elected as President of the PCT Central Committee and President of the Republic. Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso. Fighting broke out between the government forces and Sassou Nguesso's fighters, called Cobras, and led to the outbreak of the second Civil War (1997–1999). Sassou-Nguesso became a protégé of Pres. [21] The proposal to change the constitution was overwhelmingly approved by voters, with 92.96% in favor. On his Facebook page, Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, 45, describes himself as “philanthropist” and member of the national assembly for the town of Oyo — his father’s hometown — after having “officiated in the world of oil”. In response, the PCT officially abandoned its Marxist-Leninist policies in 1990, a move that did not bode well for Sassou-Nguesso. Les magasins sont localisés également aujourd’hui à Pointe Noire au Congo Brazzaville et à Kinshasa et sont associés à des centres d’ophtalmologie. [citation needed], In 1970, Sassou Nguesso was made Director of Security and a minister in the new presidential council. Sassou-Nguesso was eliminated in the first round of voting, and Pascal Lissouba of the Pan-African Union for Social Development (Union Panafricaine pour la Démocratie Sociale; UPADS) was elected president. [16], Having already served as the Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity in 1986–1987, he was elected Chairman of the African Union, the OAU's successor body, in January 2006. He became captain, then commander, and was promoted to colonel (1978) and later as army general (1989). Governa o país desde 1997. He joined the Congolese Labour Party (Parti Congolais du Travail; PCT), which embraced a Marxist-Leninist ideology and was designated the country’s sole ruling party in 1970. A proposal to amend the constitution to eliminate term limits and raise the maximum age for a presidential candidate—changes that would allow Sassou-Nguesso to stand for another presidential term—was put to referendum in October 2015. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Corrections? Take advantage of our Presidents' Day bonus! Denis Christel allegedly embezzled millions of dollars in public funds from the Congo’s state oil company, the Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo , according to US federal prosecutors. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In 1963 Sassou-Nguesso was appointed commander of military forces in Brazzaville and by the early 1970s had risen to the rank of colonel. After a brief alliance with UPADS that dissolved in late September, Sassou-Nguesso and the PCT allied itself with the Union for Democratic Renewal (Union pour le Renouveau Démocratique; URD), forming an opposition body and initiating acts of civil disobedience against Lissouba’s administration. During the extraordinary session of the Central Committee of the PCT, which was held from 5 to 12 December 1975, the party's political bureau was dissolved and a five-member Revolutionary Special Staff was established with Nguesso as one of its member. Through complex arrangements of front companies in several tax-havens, what should be called the Sassou Nguesso Clan, has siphoned off the country's resources to the point of causing economic bankruptcy. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Denis-Sassou-Nguesso, Fact Monster - People - Biography of Denis Sassou-Nguesso. Although Sassou-Nguesso was barred by the constitution from standing for another term as president, steps were set in motion to work around that limitation. [26] Reputation management company Schillings Solicitors attempted to suppress this information, but the application failed. Anti-corruption campaigners Global Witness have revealed more details about a move by US prosecutors to seize a three million dollar Miami penthouse belonging to Denis Christel Sassou-Nguesso… [22] The opposition argued that due to low turnout the results should be annulled. On 27 March 2015, Sassou Nguesso announced that his government would hold a referendum on changing the country's 2002 constitution to allow him to run for a third consecutive term in office. He also received military training in Saint Maixent, France, graduating with the rank of lieutenant,[5] before returning to join Congo's elite paratroop regiment. Sassou Nguesso was an opposition leader for five years before returning to power during the Second Civil War (1997–1999), in which his rebel forces ousted President Pascal Lissouba. [12], In the parliamentary election of June–July 1992, the PCT won only 19 of 125 seats in the National Assembly; the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) was the largest party, with the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (MCDDI) another strong force. Christel Sassou a capitulé et a courbé l’échine. Il est le fils de Denis Sassou-Nguesso, président de la République du Congo. Pour ce faire, Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso a opéré en osmose avec un ami de la famille, José Veiga. Sassou-Nguesso was victorious, with officials claiming that he won about 60 percent of the vote; this was disputed by the opposition. In the fall of 1997, Lissouba was forced into exile and Sassou-Nguesso was once again declared president. Corruption is a common election theme in the Republic of Congo. Falling oil prices in the 1980s contributed to a faltering economy and growing discontent in the country. In 1994 Sassou Nguesso left the country for Paris. Sassou Nguesso is backed by a variety of political parties, most importantly the PCT. "[24], In July 2007, the British NGO Global Witness published documents on its website that appear to show that the President's son, Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, may have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of money that may derive from the country's oil sales on shopping sprees in Paris and Dubai. Sassou-Nguesso déjà en campagne . With the government forces controlling a majority of territory, peace agreements were signed in December 1999, although not all rebel groups signed the accords. Under pressure from international sources, he introduced multiparty politics in 1990 and was then stripped of executive powers by the 1991 National Conference, remaining in office as a ceremonial head of state. Some opposition candidates boycotted the race, claiming that democratic reform was still lacking and that the election would not be free and fair; as a result, Sassou-Nguesso faced no real competition, and the legitimacy of his overwhelming victory was disputed by the opposition.