During the week, social media was agog with rumors of a possible military coup attempt in Congo-Brazzaville, another French colony. even though the leader was away in New York attending the UN General Assembly.
The rumors were swiftly labeled "fake news" by the Congo-Brazzaville government, which also reassured the populace that everything was quiet and normal. The government "categorically denies the spread of false information," said information minister Thierry Moungalla in a post on X (previously Twitter), advising people to "go about their activities calmly."
A statement on the government's official website also denied any coup attempt rumors and reaffirmed President Nguesso's authority.
The coup allegations have not been independently verified, and there is no proof of military discontent in the nation. The commander of the presidential guard or any other military officers were allegedly involved in the alleged coup plot, although neither government sources nor eyewitnesses have corroborated this.
Congo-Brazzaville also faces a series of economic and social issues like poverty, corruption, and violations of citizens' human rights and privileges. Nguesso is one of the longest-serving presidents in Africa since 1979. He lost the first multi-party elections in 1992, but following a civil war, he reclaimed power in 1997. Since then, he has won three straight elections, though there have been a series of accusations of fraud and suppression of the opposition.
The recent coups witnessed in francophone West Africa have raised great concern about the major cause of the recent uprising of these military coups. The neighboring countries with overthrown governments are Mali, Guinea, Niger, and Gabon. The causes have been mentioned by experts to involve a high rate of corruption and mismanagement, youth discontent, a lack of political accountability, and others.
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