Festival mood in Talangaï over candidacy call
Drums, whistles and the smell of grilled corn drifted across the esplanade of Talangaï’s town hall last week as hundreds gathered under a relentless midday sun. The Association for the Development of the Liboka Axis, known by its French initials ADAL, used the open-air rally to do one thing: plead with President Denis Sassou Nguesso to place his name on the ballot for March 2026. “He is our best card,” declared ADAL chair Maixent Raoul Ominga to a crowd dotted with village chiefs and market women fanning themselves with campaign flyers.
Money jars and promises flood the donation table
After the speeches, enamel basins doubled as piggy banks. A mason dropped 5,000 CFA francs, then a retired nurse added a red banknote, explaining that “peace has a price and the President guards it.” Organisers say the first day of collections brought in the equivalent of roughly 11,000 US dollars, a figure they hope will climb as the campaign chest tours remote hamlets in the Cuvette. ADAL’s treasurer stressed that every franc will finance voter outreach, leaflets and transport, a transparency pledge aimed at countering rumours of top-down funding.
Peace and continuity headline supporters’ pitch
ADAL’s argument is straightforward: the sitting head of state, in power for most of the last four decades, offers an experienced hand at the helm. Citing the 2021–2023 oil rebound and the signing of a debt rescheduling deal with the IMF last December (Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 15 Dec 2023), they claim evidence that stability attracts investment. “We do not close the door on our hopes by gambling on the unknown,” Ominga told the rally, a phrase later repeated in local radio newscasts.
Other groups join the chorus for 2026
ADAL is far from alone. Earlier in July the National Youth League rallied outside Pointe-Noire’s Stade Municipal, waving banners that read “2026, toujours DSN” (Radio Congo, 19 Jul 2023). The Women’s Cooperative for Peace followed suit in Makoua, calling the President a “custodian of dialogue”. Observers note the choreography resembles the pre-2021 cycle, when endorsements mushroomed in the provinces before the incumbent formally entered the race.
What the Constitution and calendar say
Under the 2015 Constitution, a presidential term lasts five years and is renewable once. Supporters argue that because the text came into effect after earlier mandates, Denis Sassou Nguesso is legally within his rights to run again, a view echoed by several constitutional lawyers interviewed by La Semaine Africaine on 22 June 2024. The National Independent Electoral Commission is expected to publish the official timetable no later than September, leaving parties roughly six months for formal nomination procedures.
Economists read the numbers behind the applause
Congo’s economy, hit by the 2020 oil slump and pandemic, returned to positive growth of 3.4 percent in 2023, according to the African Development Bank. Supporters of continuity say the rebound is fragile and needs the same pilot. Development economist Florent Mabiala, however, warns that diversification remains urgent: “Oil still makes up more than half of revenues. Whoever wins in 2026 must quicken agricultural and digital reforms,” he told Congo-Mag on 8 July 2024. Even so, he credits the current administration with “re-opening conversations” on hydro-electric corridors financed by international partners.
Opposition voices tread carefully amid momentum
Opposition parties have so far measured their words. The Pan-African Union for Social Democracy said it “takes note” of the endorsements and will unveil its roadmap in October. Civil society activist Clarisse Tchicaya cautions that early mobilisation is natural but urged institutions to “ensure a level playing field” in comments recorded by independent broadcaster Top Congo on 25 July 2024. In private, diplomats say they expect more candidates to declare after the Senate renewal scheduled for January.
Signals from the presidency remain deliberately muted
For now, the presidential palace has offered no official hint. A senior adviser, speaking off the record, called the growing appeals “a testimony of trust” but underlined that the Head of State “is focused on daily governance duties,” notably the rollout of the Universal Health Insurance Fund slated for next year. Analysts in Brazzaville predict an announcement could come during the traditional New Year address if the regional and global context remains favourable.
A campaign season shaping up under the banner of stability
With seven months left before polling day, the streets of Brazzaville are already draped in slogans championing continuity. From Talangaï’s esplanade to radio call-in shows, the message bounces in a loop: stability first, development next. Whether that refrain will translate into ballots is the question hanging over Congo-Brazzaville’s political calendar, but for ADAL and its allies, the countdown has clearly begun.