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Denis Sassou Nguesso (born 1943) is a Congolese politician who has been the President of the Republic of the Congo since 1997; he was previously President from 1979 to 1992. During his first period as President, he headed the single-party regime of the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT) for 12 years. Under pressure from international sources, he introduced multiparty politics in 1990 and was then stripped of executive powers by the 1991 National Conference, remaining in office as a ceremonial head of state. He stood as a candidate in the 1992 presidential election but was defeated, placing third. Sassou Nguesso was an opposition leader for five years before returning to power at the conclusion of the June–October 1997 civil war, in which his rebel forces ousted President Pascal Lissouba. Following a transitional period, he won the 2002 presidential election, which involved low opposition participation; he was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election. Sassou Nguesso is backed by a variety of political parties, most importantly the PCT. He is the President of the PCT Central Committee.

Republiken Kongo var också namnet på nuvarande Demokratiska republiken Kongo (också benämnd Kongo-Kinshasa) mellan 1960 och 1966, se Kongo-Léopoldville. Republiken Kongo, på svenska ofta Kongo-Brazzaville, är en stat i Centralafrika. Folkrepubliken Kongo var officiellt namn på landet under åren 1969-1991. Landet ligger vid Atlanten och gränsar till Angola, Gabon, Kamerun, Centralafrikanska republiken och Kongo-Kinshasa. Kongo-Brazzaville är en av Afrikas största petroleumproducenter. Landet kallas för Kongo-Brazzaville på svenska för att kunna särskilja landet från det närliggande landet Demokratiska republiken Kongo som då följaktligen på svenska för särskiljandets skull istället kallas för Kongo-Kinshasa. Motorfordon från Kongo-Brazzaville bär nationalitetsbeteckningen RCB.