From Young Cadet to Congo’s Long-Serving Leader

He was born on November 23, 1943, in the village of Edou, in the north of French Equatorial Africa (present-day Republic of the Congo). His training as a future leader began in the military sphere: after primary school, he entered the prestigious Raymond Paillet College in Dolisie, and then, in 1961, passed the competitive entrance exam for the Inter-Service School for Reserve Officer Training in Cherchell (Algeria). It was there that he revealed his leadership qualities, graduating at the top of his class.

Upon returning to his country, Sassou-N’Guesso quickly became one of the key officers in the young national army. He continued his training in France, at the Saint-Maixent Infantry School, which strengthened his professional skills and his network. In the late 1960s, he entered the country’s political life, actively participating in 1968 in the movement that brought Marien Ngouabi to power.

An important step was his participation in the creation of the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT) in 1969, where he secured a seat on the Central Committee, and later on the Political Bureau. Following the tragic death of Ngouabi in 1977, Sassou-N’Guesso joined the Provisional Military Committee, before being elected, in 1979 at the age of 36, President of the PCT Central Committee and, consequently, Head of State. This moment marked the beginning of a leadership era that, with an interruption between 1992 and 1997, continues to this day.