Congo-Brazzaville 2026 presidential election context
With the presidential election scheduled for March 2026, political messaging in the Republic of the Congo has intensified, particularly around the mobilisation of first-time and young voters. In this climate, Brice Itoua, presented as a member of the Central Committee of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT, the governing party) and a public figure attentive to youth concerns, has delivered an explicit appeal to the country’s younger generations: he encourages them to place their confidence in President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso.
The statement, as reported in the source text, is framed not merely as partisan exhortation but as a call for civic participation. Itoua argues that youth engagement should be “massive and responsible” and that the ballot box is a decisive arena in which young citizens can exercise their influence over national direction, governance choices and the pace of development.
Brice Itoua’s message to young voters
Answering questions attributed to the newsroom of the source, Brice Itoua emphasises what he describes as the central role of youth in shaping the country’s future. He advances the idea that supporting the incumbent is, in his view, a choice grounded in responsibility, stability and continuity—three notions that recur in his reasoning and that he associates with ongoing public action.
“The youth must be aware of its electoral weight and its power of decision. Voting Denis Sassou-N’Guesso means choosing experience, peace and a vision for a stable and prosperous Congo,” he says in the reported quotation. In the same line of argument, Itoua advises young voters to privilege a reflective vote oriented toward the “higher interest of the nation,” rather than what he characterises as divisive rhetoric or unrealistic promises.
Education, youth employment and infrastructure as policy markers
A substantial portion of Itoua’s appeal rests on his assessment of policies and investments he attributes to the Head of State, particularly in education, youth employment, entrepreneurship and infrastructure. He contends that these achievements should not be treated as isolated projects, but as gains that warrant consolidation over time—an argument that implicitly favours continuity as a governing principle.
In the source’s presentation, Itoua cites efforts said to have been undertaken in several strategic sectors, including road infrastructure, energy, health and education. He links such investments to improvements in living conditions and to national cohesion, presenting them as structural foundations upon which further economic and social progress could be built. The underlying logic is that development requires both time and institutional steadiness, especially in areas—training, job integration and public services—where outcomes are measured over years rather than electoral cycles.
Peace and stability in a regional environment
Itoua’s narrative also places particular emphasis on peace and stability, described as a comparative advantage in a region that the source notes can be marked by tensions and crises. In this framing, political stability is not treated as an abstract slogan but as a practical condition for personal security, schooling, entrepreneurship and the normal functioning of economic life.
The argument is made in deliberately forward-looking terms: stability is presented as enabling the emergence of youth-led innovation and enterprise, and as providing an environment where the younger generation can plan, invest in skills, and take calculated risks. Itoua thereby connects the political question of leadership to the everyday horizons of young Congolese—education pathways, early professional experience and the credibility of opportunities.
Denis Sassou-N’Guesso portrayed as continuity and statecraft
According to Brice Itoua, President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso occupies a major place in Congolese political life and embodies experience, continuity of the state and mastery of both national and international issues. In the source text, this emphasis on statecraft is used to justify why, in Itoua’s view, the incumbent remains best positioned to pursue national construction and to manage complex policy trade-offs.
Itoua goes further, employing a markedly laudatory register by describing the President as a “blessing for the Congo,” a formulation that signals the depth of loyalty among some supporters. For editorial clarity, it is important to note that this characterisation is presented as Itoua’s political judgment and rhetorical choice, rather than as an independently verified assessment of outcomes.
A call for civic mobilisation among Congo’s youth
Beyond endorsement, Itoua’s intervention is framed as an attempt to reinforce youth turnout and civic awareness ahead of the vote. The source depicts his objective as contributing to a broad mobilisation of young people as a lever for democracy and development, consistent with an understanding that participation itself—registration, debate and voting—strengthens institutions.
As the March 2026 election approaches, this message is portrayed as part of a wider dynamic of support around President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso. Itoua’s central proposition remains constant throughout the text: that young voters should consider continuity as the most prudent avenue for consolidating investments and safeguarding peace, and that the youth vote can be decisive in translating this preference into an electoral outcome.