The study argues that domestic political narratives promoted by President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s government are closely intertwined with broader geopolitical themes such as stability and security, biodiversity protection, environmental diplomacy and the country’s role in regional logistics for critical raw materials from Central Africa.
The analysis also highlights that certain issues, particularly large-scale resource extraction, are rarely addressed directly in the domestic political discourse. Instead, they tend to be framed indirectly through narratives of infrastructure development, national stability and future-oriented investments.
The brief further explores how these narratives intersect with external geopolitical agendas and shape relations between Congo, the European Union and Russia. Finally, it points to several structural challenges within the Congolese political economy that are likely to persist beyond the 2026 presidential elections.
