BRAZZAVILLE, March 15 (Reuters) - A widespread internet outage hit Congo Republic on Sunday, internet monitoring group NetBlocks said, as the Central African nation voted in a presidential election widely expected to extend 82-year-old Denis Sassou Nguesso's decades-long rule by another five years.
Sassou faces a weak field of challengers, with two of the country’s best‑known opposition leaders in prison and others in exile. Several opposition parties boycotted the vote, saying the process lacked credibility.
More than 3.2 million Congolese are registered to vote, although analysts and civil society groups expect turnout to fall below the nearly 68% recorded in 2021, when Sassou won with 88.4% of the vote.
Polls were expected to close at 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT).
"We confirm that a nation-scale internet blackout is now in effect in the Republic of Congo, a measure likely to limit transparency during today's election," Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks, said in an email to Reuters, adding that connectivity was around 3% of ordinary levels.
It was "technically consistent" with an internet outage imposed during the presidential election in 2021, Toker said.
Congo's Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso did not immediately respond on Sunday to a request for comment on the internet outage.
VOTERS EXPRESS LITTLE HOPE FOR CHANGE
Sassou seized power in the oil‑producing nation in 1979 and has governed almost continuously since, except for a five-year hiatus in the 1990s.
He is running against six little-known candidates, none seen as serious contenders, with electoral bodies dominated by figures aligned with the ruling Congolese Labour Party.
“The opposition is fragmented and lacks a strong, emblematic figure,” said Remadji Hoinathy of the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies. “There may be fatigue among voters, but that will not affect Sassou’s chances.”
Rights groups say the political space has narrowed in recent years, citing arrests of activists and suspensions of parties.
Ahead of Sunday's vote, Prime Minister Makosso dismissed accusations of pro-Sassou bias, arguing that Congo's oversight bodies would ensure a transparent and fair election.
Some Congolese say they see little chance for change.
"It's an election whose outcome is known in advance,” said Frédéric Nkou, an unemployed resident of Brazzaville. “I don’t expect things to improve.”
Sassou has campaigned on continuity, pledging to accelerate development projects and expand access to education and professional training.
The economy, heavily dependent on oil, has stabilised in recent years after a long downturn, but 52% of Congo's 6.1 million people live in poverty, according to the World Bank.
Provisional electoral results are expected 48 to 72 hours after polls close.
(Reporting by Clement Bonnerot and Ngouda Dione in Dakar and Congo Republic newsroom; Writing by Clement Bonnerot and Robbie Corey-Boulet; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Joe Bavier)
