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Published 24th October 1997

Vol 38 No 21

Congo-Brazzaville

A dictator returns

General Sassou fights his way back to power in Brazzaville and gets a tacit welcome from Paris and perhaps Washington

Fresh from his military defeat of the elected President, Pascal Lissouba, on 15 October, General Denis Sassou Nguesso told Africa Confidential that he would follow a policy of ouverture and national reconciliation. Yet he is far from being Congo's most popular politician and his conflict with Lissouba has reinforced the traditional north-south divisions on which it was largely based. Lissouba's failures were many but the Congolese fought hard for the election in 1992 which brought him to power and that fight was against the then President – Sassou Nguesso (who had won just 15 per cent of the votes).

Clearing out

Image courtesy of Panos Pictures

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A sudden conversion

Image courtesy of Panos Pictures

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Almost overnight, KANU’s top brass have discovered the value of political reform

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Biya's bad joke

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King to move

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Pointers

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Not at ease

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