Rear Admiral Jean Dominique Okemba: heir apparent of Denis Sassou Nguesso

For had the rival of Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso in the 2012 legislative elections, not been forced to quit, Denis Christel and the ruling PCT would have registered their greatest upset in that year’s legislative elections. Furthermore, even when his rival was forced out of the race, heavy fraud, corruption, coupled with the personal involvement of his uncle Maurice Nguesso was needed to convince the 27 villages that make up the Oyo district to vote in favor of Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso, the son of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. For the son of the President who was the lone candidate in the Oyo electoral district and flag bearer of the Congolese Workers Party of PCT  encountered  stiff hostility from the natives of Oyo. The natives of Oyo referred to Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso as “Kiki le Zairois” a euphemism to claim that Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso is not a Congolese or not an ethnic Mbouchi enough. It therefore required the dexterity of his uncle Maurice Nguesso to convince the natives of the district of Oyo that, Denis-Christel was one of theirs.

As already mentioned, even though Denis -Christel Sassou Nguesso was alone in the 2012 legislative elections, the elections organizing body still had to cheat and allocated to the heir apparent of President Denis Sassou Nguesso a soviet style electoral score of 100%. Christel Denis Sassou Nguesso might be groomed to succeed his father, the same way that, Omar Bongo Ondimba prepared his son Ali Bongo Ondimba to succeed him as Gabon’s president. Anyway that is what people likes Michel Ngakala do desire and are working or laying the ground works. The reality is that, Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso can’t rule Congo not because he doesn’t have the capacity, but more because all those supporting Denis Sassou Nguesso might be divided, but they are united on one thing: that, no son or daughter of Denis Sassou Nguesso should be accepted as President of Congo. Nevertheless, there are also many others within the ruling Nguesso family who are also planning to succeed their father or uncle. Amongst them, two are visible and well prepared.

They are Jean Dominique Okemba and Jean Jacques Bouya. And between both men, who stands the most or has the greatest chance of succeeding? It is Jean Dominique Okemba. Why? It is simply because Jean Dominique Okemba is straightforward and crafty. He has money and commands a solid network of loyalists within the security apparatus of the state: Army, Navy, Air force, Police and Customs. He also has connections within the civil society and political parties of the opposition as well as in the majority. The icing on the cake is that within the government, he has ministers who are there because of him. Furthermore, the fact that, he is not highly educated makes others within and without the family, who have the tendency or presidential ambitions, to look down on him or tend to ignore him and this, to their very own detriment and also their ambitions. The list of Jean Dominique Okemba’s victims is impressive and the most prized of his contemporary victims is Colonel Marcel Nstourou. And within the family, his victims in the internal power struggle are Colonel Hillaire Mokou and Maurice Nguesso and also General Pierre Oba. Jean Dominique Okemba is the most influential member of the ruling family. However, there are others as well.They are:  Aime Emmanuel Yoka, Maurice Nguesso, Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso, Wilfried Nguesso, Edgard Nguesso, Claudia Sassou Nguesso, Cendrine Sassou Nguesso, Ninelle Sassou Nguesso and Lydie Hortense Kourissa. 

Cendrine Sassou Nguesso: profile of the aggressive and corrosive offspring of President Denis Sassou Nguesso

Was he sincere? Or was he doing or talking the way he was talking because I was there? I can never tell. But, I left with a mixed feeling. However, what I was certain was that, the scheme was already in place for Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso to succeed his father. That is certainly going to be another arduous battle, for most close associates of Denis Sassou Nguesso have always told me that, Congo will never be second Gabon, Togo or the DRC. The other character of a Presidential Nguesso, child that I have come across was a certain Cendrine Sassou Nguesso, formerly known as Mrs. Otenello, the name of her former Italian husband. We first met in Marbella, Spain in 2009 during a vacation with President Denis Sassou Nguesso. It was my first and last accidental vacation with the Congolese president. As always, I get carried away whenever I come across any French-speaking African who expresses him or herself fluently in English and to Cendrine Sassou Nguesso credit, she spoke and still speaks perfect.

The only other member of the ruling Nguesso family whom I know and who expresses or speaks fluent English is Claudia Lemboumba Sassou Nguesso. She is the Communications adviser to the President of the Republic. But I came to discover that, behind Cendrine Sassou Nguesso’s clam and effaced demeanor, hides a very aggressive and corrosive offspring of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. She has a rapacious desire for wealth amassing. And her focus is in the area of service and real-estate. She also seems to be competing or wants to compete with other members of President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s many children, to seek for the attention of their father. Cendrine Sassou Nguesso obsession is to be like Claudia Sassou Nguesso, her half sister. While other children of Denis Sassou Nguesso are essentially politically oriented, Cendrine Sassou Nguesso seems to have inherited the business genes of her uncle Maurice Nguesso. She is the owner of a hotel in Pointe Noire called Twinga and she also owns one of the best restaurants in Brazzaville called Terminalia. This restaurant is built on part of the Greater Brazzaville city council property, which she has seized or taken with the complicity of her brother-in-law, Mr Ngouelondele.

Cendrine Sassou Nguesso is perhaps the only child of a president his many children whose area of predilection is not only politics and the creation of foundations. She has as already mentioned flair in business or the private sector.  Her success is not because of her ingenuity, but more because of the name that she bears. And between Denis Sassou Nguesso and his elder brother, Maurice Nguesso, they have 48 children and still procreating with countless number of grand children. But one strong and also strange thing is that, the only child of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and also the most intelligent was Edith Lucie Bongo Ondimba. She was also the only one loved or tolerated by Congolese. The rest are abhorred by the people. But I also think that, the Congolese would have also loved two other Nguessos if and only if, they knew them better: they are Lydie Hortense Kourissa and Edgard Nguesso. These two are very effaced and humble, although it must be stressed that, the second is not well known because he holds official functions in the army. The first, that is Mrs. Hortense Lydie Kourissa nee Nguesso, doesn’t even like to be called or identified by the name: Nguesso. She is very proud to carry her husband’s name. 

She is also meek and extremely religious. While the second, that  is Edgard Nguesso, he is perhaps barred from showing what he truly is or the military laws prevents him to show a side of him seldom known of the Nguessos. Edgard Nguesso is humble and honest. He (Edgard Nguesso) also likes intelligent people. He also enjoys contradictory debates and admires professional journalists and responsible strong civil society organizations and its members. And paradoxically, Edgard Nguesso also likes pro-democracy activists and strong opposition activities. Edgard Nguesso is a generous person and also humane. But I doubt whether he is religious. However, one thing is clear, Edgard Nguesso is supportive of young Congolese and he seems very patriotic. He is also conscious that the current political class especially those of the ruling party, has contributed in ruining the country and have held his father or his uncle hostage.