Congo
The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, exhibits low performance in three out of four categories of the Global State of Democracy Framework, and mid-range performance in Participation. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries with regard to almost all factors of democracy. Over the last five years, it has experienced significant declines in Economic Equality. Congo is a lower-middle income country and its economy is highly dependent on petroleum exports—accounting for half of the country’s GDP—as well as mining, agriculture, and forestry.
Human habitation of what is now the Congo came relatively late due to the dense forest of the region. Early societies were based on farming and hunting, but the rise of the influential Kongo, Loango and Bateke kingdoms led to the establishment of important trade networks and contact with Europeans. Congo was eventually colonised in the late 19th century by the French, whose brutal rule was driven by the extraction of its natural resources and left it with an ethnically divided society at independence in 1960. From 1969 to 1992, the country was a single-party authoritarian state. In the 1992 multiparty elections, Denis Sassou-Nguesso (who had been in power since 1979) was defeated by Pascal Lissouba. A subsequent civil war, which saw Angolan intervention, restored Nguesso to the presidency in 1997, an office he has retained to the present. Politics continue to be driven by the regime’s desire to maintain power and control the substantial oil rents of the country. Opposition and civil society activists are subjected to arbitrary detention and their right to freedom of assembly is restricted. A 2015 constitutional replacement was interpreted to have reset presidential term limits, allowing the president to seek three more consecutive terms in office.
For the general population, issues of development and corruption loom large. Despite some improvements in access to education and health, significant challenges remain in these areas, which is reflected in the country’s low standing in the UN Human Development Index. In addition, 46.5 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, and domestic food production is unable to meet the Central African nation’s need. At the same time, Congo ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world, and graft is a major concern for its citizens.
Issues of discrimination are also salient in Congo. The legacy of the civil war and modern-day patronage politics have resulted in significant tensions between members of the Mbochi and Lari ethnic groups. This ethnic cleavage is central to Congolese politics, as the Mbochi of the North are favored by the government’s patronage networks. At the same time, the Lari of the South face heavier governmental repression. Indigenous groups, including semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer peoples, also face significant discrimination and disproportionate levels of poverty, as well as environmental challenges related to the country’s extractive industries. Congo is a lower performer on Gender Equality and, despite legal protections, women are underrepresented in politics and in the labour force. The LGBTQIA+ community, on the other hand, lack rights protections and face widespread discrimination in access to basic services.
Looking ahead, the prospects for democratization are remote. However, Credible Elections, Free Political Parties and Civil Liberties should be monitored for change as the 2026 elections draw nearer and in light of the recent abduction of a presidential candidate.
Last updated: July 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
September 2025
Suspected gang members extrajudicially killed in controversial security operation
At least 10 people were reported to have been extrajudicially killed in late September, as part of an operation conducted by the General Directorate of Presidential Security (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Présidentielle, DGSP), an elite unit responsible for the President’s security. As of the end of September, the operation had not been publicly acknowledged by the government, but news sources reported that it was targeting gang members known as ‘kulunas’ and that the DGSP was shooting suspects dead in the street. The Centre for Development Action (Centre d'Action pour le Développement, CAD), an NGO, claimed the 10 killings it had confirmed had been carried out without trial or prior investigation and that the actual death toll was likely to be much higher. Further, the Congolese Observatory for Human Rights (Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l'Homme, OCDH), another NGO, alleged that the DGSP lacked the legal authority to conduct law enforcement operations.
Update: On 24 October, President Denis Sassou Nguesso confirmed that he had authorised the DGSP operation against gang members (‘Operation Zero Kuluna’), which he said had become a permanent mechanism to restore calm in urban areas. He indicated that other branches of the security agencies would join the operation and that it would be extended beyond the cities of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, where it has been focused.
Sources: France 24, Africa News, Centre d'Action pour le Développement, CAD, Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l'Homme, OCDH, stn-info.net
May 2025
Congolese opposition leader kidnapped ahead of 2026 election
On 11 May, Lassy Mbouity, the leader of the opposition party, The Socialists (Les Socialistes) and declared candidate for the 2026 presidential election, was kidnapped from his home by armed men, before being discovered nine days later, in a critical condition and showing signs of torture. He had also reportedly survived an assassination attempt days before his abduction. The Socialists blamed the government for the kidnapping, alleging that it had employed similar tactics against political opponents in the past and that Mbouity had previously been the subject of state harassment. As of 22 May, the government had not publicly responded to the accusations against it. The development has prompted concern from human rights monitors about the security of members of the political opposition in the lead up to the presidential election.
Sources: Africanews, Agence d'Information d'Afrique Centrale - Congo, Mbote, La Primeur
June 2024
NGO reports rise in torture and other serious human rights violations
In a report launched on 26 June, the Congolese NGO, the Centre for Actions for Development (Centre d'actions pour le développement, CAD), detailed a sharp rise in torture and other serious human rights violations in the Republic of the Congo. Monitoring localities in five of the country’s 12 departments, CAD documented 122 cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the first six months of 2024, up from 13 cases over the same period in 2023. A similar comparison of cases of arbitrary arrests and detention showed an even sharper increase (31 to 251). Cases of summary executions rose from three to five, and cases of torture resulting in death increased from two to five. The number of demonstrations and meetings repressed grew fivefold from two to ten. According to the report, the documented abuses were mainly perpetrated by state actors.
Sources: Centre d'actions pour le développement, Radio France Internationale
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