Congo Republic voted in a Presidential poll on Sunday which is expected to extend the rule of President Denis Sassou Nguesso, one of Africa’s ​longest-serving leaders, with a visibly thin turnout underscoring a lack of suspense over the outcome. 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 election, saying the process lacked credibility. More than 3.2 million Congolese were registered to vote, although analysts and civil society groups predicted turnout to fall below the nearly 68% recorded in 2021, when Sassou won his previous five-year mandate with ​88.4% of the vote. Polling stations in the capital, Brazzaville, had short lines or no lines at all, a Reuters witness said. After casting his ​ballot in Brazzaville, Sassou told reporters he hoped the enthusiasm he said he had seen on the campaign trail ⁠would be evident in the final turnout figure.
“We remain hopeful that what I heard throughout the campaign will materialise today,” he said.

Full report : Congo Republic’s Sassou seeks new term amid subdued turnout, internet outage.