NewStats: 3,263,781 , 8,181,388 topics. Date: Saturday, 07 June 2025 at 09:44 PM 2t1p37

The Republic of Congo's main opposition candidate Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas died as he was being transferred to for treatment for Covid-19, his campaign director told AFP Monday, a day after presidential elections were held.

Kolelas "died in the medical aircraft which came to get him from Brazzaville on Sunday afternoon", said Christian Cyr Rodrigue Mayanda.

Kolelas was being evacuated to for treatment when he ed away. He first tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and fell seriously ill. He spent election day in hospital.

In a video that circulated on social media, 61-year-old Kolelas, who was diabetic, could be seen briefly removing an oxygen mask to tell his ers that he is "fighting death".

"Rise up as one person ... I'm fighting on my deathbed. You, too, fight for your change," he urged his ers, saying the election was "about the future of your children".

Kolelas was one of six candidates running against Denis Sassou Nguesso, 77, and was seen as the main opposition candidate. He was the runner-up in 2016's presidential election and has been widely seen as the main political threat to Sassou Nguesso, who has lead the central African country for a total of 36 years since 1979.

Provisional election results are not expected for days but Sassou Nguesso was widely expected to win re-election.

Concerns over internet blackout

Critics including Congo's influential Catholic Church had expressed "serious reservations" about the vote’s transparency amid an internet shutdown on election day.

About 50 organisations, including Internet Without Borders, last week appealed to the president to "keep the internet open, accessible and safe during the whole of the 2021 presidential election period".

The largest opposition group, the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy or UPADS, boycotted the poll in which some 2.5 million people are eligible to vote.

The former French colony has abundant oil reserves and most of its budget comes from petroleum revenue. But its economy is in a slump, hurt by a collapse in world crude oil prices, long-standing debt and the pandemic, as well as its reputation for corruption.

Sassou Nguesso campaigned on agricultural development and portrayed himself as a defender of Congo's youth – the average age of the population of 5 million is just 19, according to UN figures.

SOURCE

Covid21 is real...... Be warned.......

Africa !!!

It's a shame that he couldn't be treated in his home country...

Covid is real

Damnnn niggarrrr
Rest in peace

He was assassinated, so was the late President of Tanzania, the Covid report is a cover up, WAKE UP People

Rest in peace..

Na wa

Dem don kill this one.

Lexusgs430:
Covid21 is real...... Be warned.......

really

Rest in peace

Any small thing, run to . Brain dead people just like the shameless scarecrow running to the UK to treat ear deafness.

Build good hospitals and motivate your health workers, no. Running abroad every time. That's why Covid Covid got them easily.

Nawo

They are still attaching all this deaths to covid-19

covid 19 is real oshin wo niyen

Na so him vice for become President if say him win and was sworn in..

And one can not overwrite faulplay cause African sitting Presidents are not all like Goodluck even the present Nigerian...

They don kill this one for nothing

THEY BECOME HUMBLE AT THE FACE OF DEATH

Rip

Suspect33:
He was assassinated, so was the late President of Tanzania, the Covid report is a cover up, WAKE UP People

Very narrow- minded!

Suspect33:
He was assassinated, so was the late President of Tanzania, the Covid report is a cover up, WAKE UP People

Na u need to wake up

Tillatalk:
really

All the 542,000 deaths in America...... Wetin you think say kill them all.......

Bad burger and chips......

Africans are the major reason why Africa is backward.










RIP

Prussian:
Any small thing, run to . Brain dead people just like the shameless scarecrow running to the UK to treat ear deafness.

Build good hospitals and motivate your health workers, no. Running abroad every time. That's why Covid Covid got them easily.

It was COVID

ntyce:
Africa !!!

It's a shame that he couldn't be treated in his home country...

No be adequately equipped health center, go fit perform optimally...........

The puppy they refused to feed, would eventually be the major contributor, of their deaths.......

PoliteActivist:

It was COVID

Covid made airports shut down so that Abba Kyari, Funtua, Ajimobi, Kashamu and Co couldn't fly out to the UK to receive treatment.