The military seizes control of major capital installations. According to preliminary information, the coup leader is a commander of the presidential guard.
Congo shares a border with the Central African Republic, which has a considerable Russian presence.
Denis Sassou Nguesso, 79, is a former military officer and Congolese politician. He has been the Republic of the Congo’s president since 1997. He previously served as President from 1979 until 1992.
He led the Congolese Party of Labor for 12 years during his first term as president.
After a referendum on a new Constitution permitted him to reset his term limits, President Denis Sassou N’Guesso was re-elected for a five-year term in 2016.
He has been president since 1997, when he reclaimed power following the Civil War; he previously served from 1979 to 1991. His party, the Parti Congolais du Travail (PCT), controls the Congolese Parliament.
