The year 2024 was the year of youth in Congo Brazzaville, but it marks the growing international recognition of the country’s leader, Denis Sassou Nguesso, despite his 80 years and his longevity in power. The Congolese President manages to be an international reference on subjects usually reserved for Western heads of state such as green diplomacy.
Ecology, progress in governance, and realpolitik at work are making Congo Brazzaville an attractive country for investors looking for stable countries with high potential.
Green diplomacy, a pillar of progress
The protection of the Congo River basin and the country’s national and cultural identity have always been major axes of Congo’s policy. The country is today one of the main drivers of international cooperation aimed at preserving the main “lungs” of the planet. In October 2023, COP27 was the occasion to develop the three basins initiative by organizing the second summit bringing together the countries linked to the three main river basins (Amazon, Congo and Borneo/Mekong), whose role is essential in limiting global warming.
Since then, international initiatives have multiplied, including the hosting this summer of the first International Conference on Afforestation and Reforestation (Ciar1). In the coming months, the Congo Basin Climate Commission (CCBC), which will bring together 17 countries linked by the desire to economically transform the lung region of Africa, will be set up in Libreville.
A new development model
Building on the successes of this green diplomacy, the country is taking the risk of complex diplomatic initiatives, for example on the resolution of the Libyan conflict. Far from the grand declarations and unfulfilled timetables in favor of free elections in this country torn apart by war since the fall of Gaddafi, Congo Brazzaville has proposed to lay the foundations of a national reconciliation essential to the stabilization of the country. The Congolese state also plays an essential role of moderation in the context of the conflict between Kigali and the DRC, laying the foundations for delicate negotiations.
President Sassou co-chairs the Focac with Xi Jinping
Beyond these difficult subjects, the Congolese state succeeds in an increasingly divided world to create a balance that at first glance is difficult to maintain in its diplomatic game, to place itself at the heart of the international landscape and display a stability that will make the country one of the best choices for international investors. Stable relations with the West, excellent contact with Putin who was still “visited” very recently, strong relations with the countries of Central Asia, but also with China, the Congolese state is everywhere.
This week, President Sassou is co-chairing with Xi Jinping the 9th edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is being held in Beijing from September 3 to 9. Denis Sassou Nguesso is also passing through Astana this week where the “Energy Week Central Asia and Caspian” forum is being held, without losing sight of the challenges of energy development – which represent a real challenge for his country.
Progress in governance
The longevity of the Congolese president at the head of state is either a problem or an asset in the context of the country’s development, but with its experience of nearly 40 years, the power in place is determined to show the positive points of this stability, and the progress recently made, by the 2026 presidential election.
In a country where 50% of the population is under 20, access to education and electricity are the main topics on the table, and in both cases it is the lack of modern infrastructure that prevents meeting the new needs created by this galloping demography. DSN and those close to her, including the women around her such as Arlette Soudan-Nonault or Françoise Joly, are relying on their diplomatic and environmental successes to provide the country’s youth with long-term international financing and create the framework for orderly economic development towards prosperity that is far from being achieved today for the country’s 3 million young people under 20.
The IMF’s approval
This progress in governance is confirmed by the latest partnership with the IMF. After several unsuccessful attempts at support (the last one dating from 2019), Congo has just successfully passed the milestone of the 5th program review in July 2024. International experts note that for the first time in its history, the country should complete such a program without a hitch. The immediate entourage of the Congolese president, including the indispensable Françoise Joly, worked tirelessly and obtained this result in order to create the conditions for better economic attractiveness.
This signal sent by the international institution validates the country’s progress within the framework of the international (and not just domestic) “compliance” reference system. Let’s bet that the leaders will be able to exploit this new asset to accelerate the country’s overall economic growth.
Stability and authority
Showing that it seeks to breathe a dynamic of constant progress into its action and that it aims to win the 2026 presidential election, the team governing Congo Brazzaville is mobilizing its forces to transform its international successes into concrete investments. A member of the global south but in constant contact with the West, Congo has chosen a development mode that is specific to it and that is bearing fruit.
This article is originally published on mondafrique.com
