CONGOLESE OPPOSITION LEADER KOLELAS DIES OF COVID BEFORE VOTE COUNT ENDS

Mon 22 March 2021:

Former Congolese government minister Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas, the main rival of outgoing leader Denis Sassou Nguesso in the presidential election, died due to COVID-19 complications before the vote count has ended, media reported.

On Sunday, the Republic of the Congo voted in an election to choose its next president. Longtime leader Denis Sassou Nguesso sought the fourth term, running against six other candidates, including Kolelas, who came second in the violence-marred 2016 election.

According to Le Point Afrique, citing Jean-Jacques Serge Yombi, the vice president of the Rally for Democracy and Development party, the 61-year-old politician tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The candidate said in a video message on Saturday that he was “fighting death.”

On Sunday, Kolelas was urgently evacuated from the capital of Brazzaville to a Paris hospital, where he died shortly after arrival, the newspaper added.

Kolelas was the main rival to Sassou Nguesso, who has been the Republic of Congo’s leader for total of 36 years since 1979.

On Saturday, the challenger had posted a video after being taken ill, declaring he was “battling against death.”

“Rise up as one person… I’m fighting on my deathbed, you too fight for your change,” he urged his supporters. Kolelas added that the election was “about the future of your children”.

Although provisional election results are not expected for days, Sassou Nguesso is widely predicted to be the winner.

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