Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso

Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso is a Congolese politician. Since December 2010, he has been Deputy Director-General of the National Petroleum Company of the Congo (Société nationale des pétroles du Congo, SNPC). His father is Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has been President of Congo-Brazzaville since 1997 and was previously President from 1979 to 1992.

At SNPC

As of 2004, Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso was in charge of the SNPC's branch in the United Kingdom.^[1] Subsequently he was Administrator-General of Cotrade, a Congolese state company responsible for marketing oil. He attracted some negative attention in 2007 for spending heavily on luxury goods and accommodations abroad.^[2] As part of an administrative shake-up at the SNPC, Sassou Nguesso was instead appointed as Deputy Director-General of the SNPC, in charge of downstream operations, on 29 December 2010.^[3][4] The shake-up was viewed as indicative of his "increasing influence".^[5]

Political activities

Beginning in 2005, Sassou Nguesso headed the Pole of Young Republicans, which was later renamed as the Party for Justice and the Republic (PJR).^[6] At the Sixth Extraordinary Congress of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT), held in July 2011, Sassou Nguesso was elected to the PCT's 51-member Political Bureau.^[7] 10 PJR members, including Sassou Nguesso, were included in the PCT Central Committee. Sassou Nguesso then dissolved the PJR on 5 August 2011, while calling on all its members to immediately join the PCT.^[6]

References

1. ^ "Nepotists' nirvana", Africa Confidential, volume 45, number 9, 30 April 2004.
2. ^ "Congo leader son fails in gag bid", BBC News, 15 August 2007.
3. ^ "Compte rendu du Conseil des ministres du 29 décembre 2010", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 30 December 2010 (French).
4. ^ "Une nouvelle équipe dirigeante pour conduire la société nationale de pétrole", Xinhua, 30 December 2010 (French).
5. ^ "Sassou's clan dominates the SNPC", West Africa Newsletter N° 603, Africa Intelligence, 13 January 2011.
6. ^ ^{a b} Willy Mbossa, "Vie des partis : le Parti pour la justice et la République dissous", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 6 August 2011 (French).
7. ^ Joël Nsoni, "Denis Sassou Nguesso aux congressistes du P.c.t : «Les élections ne se gagnent pas dans les bureaux. Elles se gagnent sur le terrain»", La Semaine Africaine, 30 July 2011 (French).