The government in Congo-Brazzaville has denied reports of an attempted coup
against President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has been in power for 39 years.

It follows rumors on social media that the military had been trying to oust
the 79-year-old leader, who is currently in the US attending a UN summit with
other world leaders.

“The government denies this fake news,” Information
Minister Thierry Moungalla posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday,
saying he wanted to reassure members of the public they could “go
about their activities calmly”.

The government’s website also posted a statement denying the coup
attempt reports.

There has been a wave of coups across Africa in recent months, mostly
recently in neighboring Gabon, where the military seized power in August.

Mr Sassou Nguesso rose to power in the oil-producing central African country
in a military coup in 1979. He lost Congo’s first multi-party elections in 1992
but regained power in 1997 after a civil war.

The Congolese leader is the third-longest serving president in Africa, after
Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema and Cameroon’s Paul Biya.