The use of political show trials to exclude her and Aïvo from public life is reminiscent of the 20-year jail term imposed on former army general Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko in Congo-Brazzaville after he stood against Denis Sassou-Nguesso (AC Dispatches 22/3/21 Death of opposition leader Kolélas overshadows Sassou's latest coronation)...

BGFI was a creation of two presidents: Omar Bongo of Gabon – who died in 2009 his son Ali Ben Bongo taking his place – and Denis Sassou-Nguesso of neighbouring Congo-B...

There Denis Sassou-Nguesso seized power in 1979 and has stayed in charge apart from a 1992-97 interregnum and civil war...

These include Congo-Brazzaville's Denis Sassou-Nguesso Kenya's Uhuru Kenyatta and Gabon's Ali Ben Bongo...

AOGC had long been tied to Denis Gokana oil advisor to Congo-B President Denis Sassou-Nguesso and then head of the national oil company (AC Vol 50 No 21 Brazzaville counts on France and the IMF)...

But President Denis Sassou-Nguesso's decision to name his son as international cooperation minister in charge of relations with donors and the private sector will do nothing to change the country's reputation as a kleptocracy par excellence...

A clutch of sub-Saharan and European leaders will attend including francophone presidents Alassane Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire) and Denis Sassou-Nguesso (Congo-Brazzaville) but also Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa) Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda)...

Italy's state oil company Eni renewed its oil licences in Congo-Brazzaville by granting stakes in the blocks to corrupt officials close to President Denis Sassou-Nguesso according to an Italian court judgment seen by Africa Confidential...

They have been used to provide huge unaccountable revenue streams to Congo-B President Denis Sassou-Nguesso and his son Denis-Christel 'Kiki' and to avoid claims by the country's creditors (AC Vol 62 No 2 Sassou soldiers on)...