• Congo sets presidential election for March 15, 2026, officials say

• Denis Sassou N’Guesso nominated by ruling party; opposition candidates emerge

• Campaign opens Feb. 28 amid modest economic growth

Congolese government spokesperson Thierry Moungalla announced on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, the adoption of a draft decree setting the date of the presidential election.

“The Council of Ministers is calling voters nationwide to the polls for the first round of the presidential election according to the following schedule: early voting for members of the security forces on Thursday, March 12, 2026; general voting on Sunday, March 15, 2026,” he said in the Council of Ministers’ statement. The electoral campaign will officially open on Feb. 28.

Last December, the Congolese Labor Party (PCT) nominated its candidate, Denis Sassou N’Guesso, during its 6th ordinary congress. This decision has been criticized by figures calling for a change in the country’s leadership. Within the opposition, Destin Gavet, head of the Republican Movement, and Uphrem Dave Mafoula, president of the Les Souverainistes party, have announced their candidacies.

After governing Congo under a single-party regime between 1979 and 1992, Mr. Sassou N’Guesso was defeated by Pascal Lissouba during the first multi-party elections. He returned to power in 1997 at the end of a civil war, and was subsequently elected in 2002 and re-elected in 2009. In 2015, a constitutional amendment removed the limit on the number of presidential terms.

On the economic front, the country is showing modest growth. According to the World Bank, growth stood at 2.6% in 2024 and is expected to reach 2.9% in 2025. The poverty rate, almost unchanged since 2021, is projected at about 52% in 2025.

Ingrid Haffiny