Sassou-Nguesso “yet to embrace political reconciliation”

The major obstacle to a comprehensive, workable peace in RoC was that President Denis Sassou-Nguesso had “yet to embrace the inclusive political reconciliation,” the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) stated in a country briefing on Monday. The president appeared to believe that opposition militia groups had been weakened to such an extent that he would accept peace on his terms, and had therefore declined to include them in substantive political dialogue, it said. “Inclusive politics are a threat to his power, and it is likely that Mr Sassou-Nguesso will wish to slow the process of demobilisation as this would justify delaying a referendum and constitutional reform, while extending the political transition and entrenching his own position,” the EIU suggested.