Editing Denis Sassou Nguesso (section)

===1963–1979: early positions===
He was part of the 1968 military coup that overthrew president Massemba Debat and brought [[Marien Ngouabi]] to power. He was a founding member of the National Revolution Council (''Conseil National de la revolution'') in December 1968.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LISTE DES MEMBRES FONDATEURS DU CONSEIL NATIONAL DE LA RÉVOLUTION (21 décembre 1968)|url=http://congo-liberty.com/?p=24588|website=congo-liberty.com|access-date=7 August 2021|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807111149/http://congo-liberty.com/?p=24588|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=L'historique du parti|url=http://www.particongolaisdutravail.org/histoire.html|website=particongolaisdutravail.org}}</ref>

In 1968, Sassou Nguesso took part in the military coup led by Commander Marien Ngouabi against Debat: He was a member of the Congolese National Revolution Council (''Conseil National de la révolution'')<ref>{{Cite web|title=LISTE DES MEMBRES FONDATEURS DU CONSEIL NATIONAL DE LA RÉVOLUTION (21 décembre 1968)|url=http://congo-liberty.com/?p=24588|website=congo-liberty.com|access-date=7 August 2021|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807111149/http://congo-liberty.com/?p=24588|url-status=dead}}</ref> established on 5 August 1968.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Journal officiel de la république du Congo|url=https://www.sgg.cg/JO/1968/congo-jo-1968-16.pdf|journal=Journal officiel de la république du Congo|pages=22}}</ref> Under the leadership of Marien Ngouabi, the group limited the president's powers, before the latter finally resigned on 3 September 1968.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Congo-Brazzaville : 31 juillet 1968 : Coup d'Etat militaire ou complot politique ? Démission du Président Massamba Débat et prise de pouvoir de Marien NGouabi (2e partie)|url=http://congo-liberty.com/?p=22239.;Ngouabi|website=congo-liberty.com|access-date=7 August 2021|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807111149/http://congo-liberty.com/?p=22239.;Ngouabi|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ngouabi officially became head of state in January 1969.<ref>{{Cite news|title=LE COMMANDANT NGOUABI DEVIENT CHEF DE L'ÉTAT|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1969/01/02/le-commandant-ngouabi-devient-chef-de-l-etat_2422753_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=2 January 1969}}</ref>

In December 1969, Sassou Nguesso was elected as a member of the first central committee of the new [[Congolese Party of Labour|Congolese Labor Party]] (''Parti Congolais du travail'', PCT). It was a [[communist]] party with a [[Marxist–Leninist]] doctrine. It was headed by Marien Ngouabi as president of the central committee, president of the republic and head of state.<ref>{{Cite web|date=|title=Accession de Marien Ngouabi à la présidence de la République du Congo|url=https://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMEve/1052|website=perspective.usherbrooke.ca}}</ref>

A new constitution was issued on 31 December 1969, which designated the country as the People's Republic of Congo.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Journal officiel de la république populaire du Congo|url=https://www.sgg.cg/JO/1970/congo-jo-1970-02.pdf|journal=Journal officiel de la république populaire du Congo|pages=22}}</ref>

In March 1970, following a failed coup attempted by Pierre Kinganga, a former lieutenant who was exiled in the neighboring Congo-Kinshasa,<ref>{{Cite news|title=ÉCHEC D'UN NOUVEAU COUP D'ÉTAT AU CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1970/03/24/echec-d-un-nouveau-coup-d-etat-au-congo-brazzaville_2662936_1819218.html|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=24 March 1970}}</ref> an extraordinary session of the PCT's congress was held, during which Sassou Nguesso integrated the political bureau of the PCT.<ref name="particongolaisdutravail.org">{{Cite web|title=Le premier congrès extraordinaire du parti congolais du travail|url=http://www.particongolaisdutravail.org/histoire-suite1.html|website=particongolaisdutravail.org}}</ref>

On 18 May 1973, Sassou Nguesso, who had been corps commander of the airborne group, was made Director of State Security.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Journal officiel de la république populaire du congo|url=https://www.sgg.cg/JO/1973/congo-jo-1973-11.pdf|journal=Journal officiel de la république populaire du congo|volume=11|pages=48}}</ref>

In 1975, amid an economic crisis, an extraordinary session of the PCT central committee was summoned. The eight members of the political bureau resigned and were replaced by a restricted "Revolutionary Special General Staff" (''Etat major spécial révolutionnaire''), composed of five members, including Sassou Nguesso, and headed by Marien Ngouabi.<ref name="particongolaisdutravail.org"/> At the end of the extraordinary session, Marien Ngouabi asked Sassou Nguessou and five other members for a report on the economic and political situation. The paper became known as the "Declaration of 12 December 1975". It recommended the "radicalization" of the revolution.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 January 2014 |title=La déclaration du 12 décembre 1975 |url=https://www.adiac-congo.com/content/la-declaration-du-12-decembre-1975 |website=adiac-congo.com |language=fr}}</ref>

In the same period, he was appointed Minister of Defense and Security at age 32.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cessou |first=Sabine |date=23 October 2015 |title=Congo-Brazzaville: Denis Sassou-Nguesso en dix dates |url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20151023-congo-brazzaville-denis-sassou-nguesso-dix-dates-referendum |website=[[Radio France Internationale|RFI]] |language=fr}}</ref>

On 18 March 1977, president Marien Ngouabi was assassinated.<ref name="rfi.fr">{{Cite web |last=Arseneault |first=Michel |date=17 March 2017 |title=Il y a 40 ans, la mort d'un président au marxisme 'bien tempéré' à Brazzaville |url=https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20170317-congo-il-y-40-ans-assassinat-brazzaville-president-marien-ngouabi-marxisme-bien-tem |website=[[Radio France Internationale|RFI]] |language=fr}}</ref> Official media stated that the assassination was conducted by a commando group led by Capt. Barthelemey Kikadidi.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=20 March 1977|title=Ngouabi Dies of Wounds|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/20/archives/ngouabi-dies-of-wounds-congolese-leader-slain-by-attackers.html|journal=The New York Times}}</ref> Others claimed that the assassination was plotted by military officers within the close circle of power.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 March 2013 |title=[Congo-Brazzaville] Assassinat de Marien Ngouabi: l'énigme du 18 mars 1977 |url=https://blogs.mediapart.fr/jecmaus/blog/180313/congo-brazzaville-assassinat-de-marien-ngouabi-lenigme-du-18-mars-1977 |access-date=8 August 2021 |website=blogs.mediapart.fr |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mayima-Mbemba |first=Jean-Claude |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xqkUAQAAIAAJ |title=Assassinats politiques au Congo-Brazzaville: rapport de la commission ad'hoc de la Conférence nationale souveraine, 25 février-10 juin 1991 |date=30 June 2004 |publisher=ICES |isbn=978-2-910153-30-4 |location=Corbeil-Essonnes |language=fr}}</ref>

A Military Committee of the Congolese Labor Party (''Comité militaire du PCT'') composed of eleven officers and led by Major Sassou Nguesso immediately took power and repealed the 1973 constitution. Sassou Nguesso acted as interim head of state from 18 March to 6 April 1977, then he conceded his position to general [[Joachim Yhombi-Opango]], who became president. Sassou Nguesso held the position of 1st vice president of the committee, while retaining his position of minister of defense.<ref name="rfi.fr" /><ref name="perspective.usherbrooke.ca">{{Cite web|title=Accession de Denis Sassou-Nguesso à la présidence de la République populaire du Congo|url=https://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMEve/1275|access-date=8 August 2021|website=perspective.usherbrooke.ca}}</ref>

Shortly after the Ngouabi assassination, Massamba-Debat and his former prime minister Pascal Lissouba were arrested and accused by a courts-martial of plotting the assassination. Massamba-Debat was executed on 25 March 1977.<ref name="rfi.fr" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=1977-03-26 |title=FORMER PRESIDENT EXECUTED IN CONGO |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/26/archives/former-president-executed-in-congo-massambadebat-convicted-of-plot.html |access-date=2024-06-07 |work=[[The New York Times]] |pages=7 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Sassou Nguesso was appointed provisional president on 8 February, before being confirmed, during a special congress on 31 March 1979 as head of the central committee, President of the Republic, head of state and President of the council of ministers, for five years.<ref name="perspective.usherbrooke.ca"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Le premier congrès extraordinaire du parti congolais du travail|url=http://www.particongolaisdutravail.org/histoire-suite1.html|access-date=8 August 2021|website=particongolaisdutravail.org}}</ref>

On 8 July 1979, general elections were held and confirmed the PCT as the dominant political force: the Congolese Labor Party won all the seats in the People's National Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Accession de Denis Sassou-Nguesso à la présidence de la République populaire du Congo|url=https://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMEve/1275|website=perspective.usherbrooke.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Congo-Brazzaville (1960–present)|url=https://uca.edu/politicalscience/dadm-project/sub-saharan-africa-region/congo-brazzaville-1960-present/|website=uca.edu}}</ref> A new constitution was adopted by referendum, confirming the socialist foundations of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Perspective Monde|url=https://perspective.usherbrooke.ca/bilan/servlet/BMEve/1275https://cour-constitutionnelle.cg/constitutionsanterieures/ConstitutiondelaRepPopduCongodu8juillet1979.pdf|website=perspective.usherbrooke.ca}}</ref>