Denis Sassou Nguesso: A Vicious manipulative man

Even though Denis Sassou Nguesso might not appear to be a firebrand anti-imperialist or rabble-rouser in the shape or character of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, late Hugo Chavas or his successor, Nicolas Maduro, he (Denis Sassou Nguesso)  not only surreptitiously offers moral and financial support to most despots and even liberal democrats as mentioned in the chapter: the Nguesso: The Kleptocratic family, he equally during continental and regional meetings of African head of states and governments, encourages his peers not to yield to western pressures on free speech, democracy and respect for human rights.  This last point, I suspect, could even be supported by Dr Christopher Fomunyuh, deputy Director for Africa at the National Democratic Institute, NDI, who knows best or understands best, how most African despotic leaders do operate. Denis Sassou Nguesso, as you have already read, is a calm but vicious manipulative man, who encourages various members of his family, government ministers and officials, especially officers within the security services to fight each other to their mutual deaths as the arrest and death of Colonel Marcel Nstourou in prison has demonstrated. Colonel Marcel Nstourou’s home was attacked in a spectacular manner in December 2013, under the guise that, he was in possession of weapons and harboring criminals. He was over powered in the gun duel that lasted over 5 hours, arrested, jailed, released on bail and then rearrested. But it was later discovered that all allegations heaped on late Colonel Marcel Nstourou were results of intra service rivalry encouraged by Sassou Nguesso.   

Denis Sassou Nguesso, it is now well known, relish pitting his top ranking military officers against each other. The same practice is done or perpetuated within the government, where he encourages unhealthy rivalries among government ministers. Even families have not been spared of his devilish instinct to divide and destroy. He has divided several families and broken up several marriages. The most recent example is the children of Bernard Kolelas: Guy Brice and Landry. He removed the first from government and replaced him with the second, then dumped the second out of government, after sowing the seed of discontent within the Kolelas family. Denis Sassou Nguesso also breaks up marriages or separates couples by taking the wives of political allies and also rivals or even their daughters. The latter is a specialty of the Nguessos, for one can’t count the number of marriages the president, his elder brother or sons have destroyed.  Sassou Nguesso and his family members in particular his elder brother, Maurice or his son, Denis Christel do all the above in a bid to maintain his grip on power. For they think seizing the wife of an ally or rival or sleeping with the daughter of an ally or rival procures them not only political domination over the country but also prolongs their lives. Furthermore, by sowing the seeds of discords within his own army and security apparatus or within the hierarchy of the ruling party or even destroying families by encouraging adultery and other vices, it only lays credence to the fact; Sassou Nguesso’s lust for power knows no bounds. He is simply the most corrosive figure the country has ever known. Besides his delight to see members of his government or Congolese fighting each other, he also relishes and encourages gossips and salacious life styles. That is why no day passes by in Congo without a story on how one of the Nguessos has slept with the wife or daughter of a political rival or even ally. His governing behavior has bred a culture of suspicions within families and also among friends, hence the existence of a phenomenal breakdown of trust in the country.