France, March 16 -- Throughout the capital, Brazzaville, there were no long queues outside polling stations. RFI reporters observed small groups of voters arriving sporadically.

Low turnout underlines the lack of suspense surrounding the outcome of the election.

Few challengers

Civil society groups and analysts predicted turnout to fall below the nearly 68 percent recorded in 2021, when Sassou won his previous five-year mandate with 88.4 percent of the vote.

Sassou did not face many challengers, with two of the most well-known opposition leaders in prison, while others are in exile.

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