Congo’s veteran President Denis Sassou Nguesso won another five-year term that will see him steering his country

Nicknamed the “Emperor” by some peers, Congo’s veteran President Denis Sassou Nguesso on Tuesday won another five-year term that will see him steering his country for over four decades.

A former paratrooper who swapped his combat uniform for fine tailored suits, Sassou Nguesso is one of the world’s longest-serving rulers.

His counterparts in Ivory Coast and Guinea recently referred to the veteran survivor as the “Emperor” of the oil-rich country, which he rules with an iron fist.

Sassou Nguesso has already accumulated more than 36 years in office — at 77, he is four times older than the average Congolese, whose median age is 19, according to UN figures.