Congo’s long-ruling President Denis Sassou Nguesso will seek re-election in March next year, his party announced on Tuesday.
The Congolese Labour Party formally selected the 82-year-old leader during a three-day congress, according to an AFP journalist.
Party rapporteur Antoinette Kebi said delegates unanimously endorsed Sassou Nguesso as their candidate for the presidential contest.
Sassou Nguesso first ruled the oil-rich Central African nation under a one-party system from 1979 until 1992.
He lost power after being defeated by Pascal Lissouba in the country’s first democratic election, a rare moment of political change.
Sassou Nguesso returned to power in 1997 after a civil war toppled Lissouba, reshaping Congo’s political landscape.
He has governed continuously since then, casting a long shadow over the nation’s modern history as another election approaches.