Background

Political tensions rose in the lead-up to the March 2026 presidential elections. Inflation worsened due to import-driven price increases. In June, unusually heavy rainfall caused at least seven deaths in the capital, Brazzaville, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to such events. Scientific research predicted an increased likelihood of both higher-than-average rainfall and extreme daily rainfall events due to climate change.

Freedom of expression, association and assembly

On 11 May, the leader of political opposition party Les Socialistes Congolais (the Congolese Socialists) and candidate in the 2026 presidential elections, Lassy Mbouity, was abducted in Brazzaville by armed, masked men. He was found in a critical condition on 20 May. In June, the International Federation for Human Rights and the Congolese Observatory for Human Rights condemned repeated bans on public demonstrations organized by civil society organizations (CSOs) and opposition parties, and their lack of representation on state media. At the end of the year, the authorities had still not responded to CSO demands for a law to protect human rights defenders.

Arbitrary detention

Arbitrary detention remained a concern, notably with the continued imprisonment of former presidential candidates Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and André Okombi Salissa. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in 2018 that their detention was arbitrary and called on the authorities to ensure their immediate release and provide reparations, yet these recommendations remained unimplemented.

Inhumane detention conditions

On 23 May, detainees escaped from the government’s CNSS Texaco la Tsiémé site (an administrative building converted into a makeshift holding centre in Brazzaville, established as part of an anti-crime operation to combat youth banditry). The prosecutor stated that just over 50 detainees escaped, forcing their way out during heavy rain. Six people were reportedly killed by police forces and eight hospitalized. CSOs, including the Congolese NGO Centre for Development Action (CAD) and a coalition of Congolese CSOs, condemned the excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force, and described CNSS Texaco la Tsiémé as an unlawful and inhumane detention facility. They called for an independent investigation and the closure of the facility but the authorities did not respond to this request.

In May, Ngayo Abed Négo died in custody under suspicious circumstances in the Ngo district of Plateaux department. The authorities initially described his death as suicide by hanging in police custody. They deployed police reinforcements to restore order after protesters set fire to the Ngo police station. No public announcement was made regarding an independent investigation; instead, Ngayo Abed Négo’s body was swiftly released to the family without an autopsy.

Women’s and girls’ rights

The CEDAW Committee expressed serious concerns during its periodic review about the large number of women and girls affected by gender-based violence, including women and girls with disabilities and Indigenous women. The committee also highlighted the culture of silence surrounding the violence, the barriers that prevent victims from reporting, such as discriminatory beliefs and cultural norms, and the tendency to resolve cases within families or communities through informal settlements rather than through formal legal proceedings.

Right to a healthy environment

In 2024, the minister of environment, sustainable development and the Congo Basin closed the Metssa Congo battery-recycling plant in the Vindoulou district of Pointe-Noire, after the residents complained about contamination risks, including lead exposure. During a meeting with residents on 11 January, the minister promised further medical examinations and compensation. However, by the end of the year, the authorities had taken no further steps to provide the necessary medical care or remedy.

According to the Rainforest Foundation UK, Earth Insight and CAD, the government approved the escalation of oil exploration activities within Conkouati-Douli National Park. The Niambi concession was approved on 18 April, following the licensing of the Conkouati block on 8 February 2024. The two concessions overlap with more than half of the park’s land and nearly 90% of its wetlands. The NGOs warned that these permits endangered critical habitats, violated national conservation laws and international commitments, and threatened the livelihoods of approximately 7,000 park residents. They called for an immediate ban on extractive activities in the park and the cancellation of the permits.

Right to food

The World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that approximately one in three people in the country experienced food insecurity, with 29.3% facing moderate food insecurity and 4% facing severe food insecurity. Among children under five, 5.2% experienced acute malnutrition, while 19.6% suffered from chronic malnutrition. This highlighted ongoing deficiencies in diet quality and access to essential services.

Food assistance in the country faced serious funding shortfalls, with the WFP reporting in March gaps of up to 47% of its needs. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, reported in July that its operations were only 14% funded, leaving an 86% gap in support for refugees and host communities.