Human rights in the Republic of the Congo

Politics of the Republic of the Congo
Constitution Human rights
Government President Denis Sassou Nguesso Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso Cabinet Current government
Parliament Senate President: Pierre Ngolo National Assembly President: Isidore Mvouba
Administrative divisions Departments Districts Communes
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2016 2021 Parliamentary: 2017 2022 Political parties Electoral Law
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Jean-Claude Gakosso Diplomatic missions of / in Republic of the Congo Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Republic of the Congo portal Other countries
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The Republic of Congo gained independence from French Equatorial Africa in 1960. It was a one-party Marxist–Leninist state from 1969 to 1991. Multi-party elections have been held since 1992, although a democratically elected government was ousted in the 1997 civil war and President Denis Sassou Nguesso has ruled for 26 of the past 36 years. The political stability and development of hydrocarbon production made the Republic of the Congo the fourth largest oil producer in the Gulf of Guinea region, providing the country with relative prosperity despite instability in some areas and unequal distribution of oil revenue nationwide.^[1]
The Congolese Human Right Observatory claims a number of unresolved and pending issues in the country.
Discrimination against Pygmies is widespread, the result of cultural biases, especially traditional relationships with the Bantu, as well as more contemporary forms of exploitation.