Who Is Denis Sassou-Nguesso? Republic Of Congo President To Meet Donald Trump To Discuss Libya Crisis

Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso will meet with President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Congolese president tweeted Monday. The two leaders will discuss the ongoing crisis in Libya and other issues concerning the African continent.

A tweet from the president’s spokesman Thierry Moungalla said the two leaders would discuss ways to end the turmoil in Libya, described by the United Nations as a human rights crisis, and other broader issues affecting the continent. No other details were mentioned in the tweet.

The Trump team reportedly did not respond to requests for a comment confirming the meeting between the real estate mogul and Sassou-Nguesso. The incoming president is currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and will assume office Jan. 20.

The Congolese president, who has been in power for nearly 32 years, extended his reign when he won the elections by a landslide in March this year. Sassou-Nguesso first came to power in 1979 and has remained the head of the Republic of Congo ever since, except for a five-year period when he lost the elections in 1992.

The 72-year-old won 60 percent of the vote in the March 2016 election, with his nearest challenger hovering at 15 percent. The weekend poll was held under a communications blackout with the opposition alleging voting irregularities.

The country, rich in oil and timber, modified its constitution in an October 2015 referendum, abolishing the age and the two-term limits on presidential candidates. The now-abandoned rules would have prevented 72-year-old Sassou-Nguesso from running for president in 2016.

Trump has received several calls from leaders around the world since defeating his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the Nov. 8 election. The president-elect also met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in November and the two have planned another meeting for Jan. 27.