Editing Denis Sassou Nguesso (section)

===1979–1991: three presidential terms===
As the newly elected president, Sassou Nguesso negotiated loans from the [[International Monetary Fund]] and allowed foreign investors from France and the Americas to conduct [[Petroleum|oil]] and mineral extraction. 

Although he was considered by French diplomats as representative of the radical wing of the PCT and as the Soviet Union and Cuba's man,<ref name="rfi.fr"/> Sassou Nguessou developed and maintained strong relationships with France on which he relied to support the staggering economy. The French oil company [[Elf Aquitaine]] played an important role in the exploitation of Congolese oil fields that led to the doubling of oil production and in supporting Congolese government expenses via pre-financing loans.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Le pétrole congolais d'Elf, huile de la Françafrique|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/evasion-fiscale/article/2018/04/10/le-petrole-congolais-d-elf-huile-de-la-francafrique_5283337_4862750.html|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=10 April 2018}}</ref>

He visited France in October 1979 and in July 1981 to seek economic support. In October 1980, high-ranking French political figures including former president [[Valery Giscard d'Estaing]], and former prime ministers [[Jacques Chirac]] and [[Pierre Messmer]], were guests to the celebration of the Brazzaville centenary.<ref>{{Cite book|title=congo brazzaville traité d'amitié avec l'union soviétique|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15Qza8LQcFMC&pg=PA273|access-date=8 August 2021|isbn=9782865377398|last1=Bazenguissa-Ganga|first1=Rémy|date=January 1997| publisher=KARTHALA Editions}}</ref>

In May 1980 Sassou Nguessou signed a twenty-year friendship pact with the Soviet Union and in the same year sent two delegations to China while a Chinese minister visited Brazzaville. However, the economic impact of these relationships remained marginal: France provided up to 50% of the country's foreign aid while the Soviet Union's contribution did not exceed 1.5%.

[[File:Denis Sassou Nguesso 1986 cropped.jpg|thumb|180px|Denis Sassou Nguesso in 1986]]
Sassou Nguesso was re-elected for a five-year term as President of the PCT Central Committee and President of the Republic at the party's Third Ordinary Congress on 27–31 July 1984,<ref>"Nov 1984 – Re-election of President – Government changes", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', volume 30, November 1984, Congo, page 33,201.</ref> He announced the release of Yhombi-Opango.<ref>"Jun 1986 – Release of former President-Party and Cabinet changes-Economic problems-Census", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', volume 32, June 1986, Congo, page 34,406.</ref> He served as Chairman of the [[Organization of African Unity]] from 1986 to 1987. In late 1987 he faced down a serious military revolt in the north of the country with French aid.

At the PCT's Fourth Ordinary Congress on 26–31 July 1989, Sassou Nguesso was re-elected as President of the PCT Central Committee and President of the Republic,<ref>"Aug 1989 – Congo", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', volume 35, August 1989, Congo, page 36,842.</ref> and the PCT won all of the seats of the People's National Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Government: Eight Detained In Coup Plot|url=https://apnews.com/article/b5a59b5776314085ea980410e2f0efe7|access-date=8 August 2021|website=apnews.com}}</ref> With the collapse of the socialist states of Eastern Europe, as well as influence from the French, Sassou Nguesso began to bring the country towards capitalism.{{Citation needed|date=April 2014}}

In December 1989 he announced the end of government control of the economy and declared a partial [[amnesty]] for political prisoners. Over the following year, he attempted to improve the failing economic situation and reduce the outrageous levels of corruption. Starting in September 1990 political parties other than the PCT were allowed and Sassou Nguesso made a symbolic state visit to the United States, laying the grounds for a new series of conditional [[International Monetary Fund]] loans later that year.{{Citation needed|date=August 2021}}

He introduced multiparty politics in 1990 and was then stripped of executive powers by the 1991 National Conference,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Noble |first=Kenneth B. |date=25 June 1991 |title=Congo Political Conference Gives Africa a Democratic Model |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/25/world/congo-political-conference-gives-africa-a-democratic-model.html |access-date=24 August 2021 |work=The New York Times |page=A8 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> remaining in office as a ceremonial head of state. He stood as a candidate in the [[1992 Republic of the Congo presidential election|1992 presidential election]] but placed third.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE|url=https://media.africaportal.org/documents/paper41.pdf|url-status=dead|access-date=14 August 2021|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814204328/https://media.africaportal.org/documents/paper41.pdf}}</ref>

In February 1991, a national conference began; the opposition gained control of the conference. The conference's declaration of its own sovereignty was not challenged by Sassou Nguesso. He was subjected to serious criticism and allegations during the Conference, including a claim from some delegates that he was involved in Ngouabi's assassination.<ref name="Clark">{{cite news|author=John F. Clark|date=1997|editor2=David E. Gardinier|title=Congo: Transition and the Struggle to Consolidate|work=Political Reform in Francophone Africa|pages=68–69|editor1=John F. Clark}}</ref><ref>Kenneth B. Noble, [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD6153AF936A15755C0A967958260 "Congo political conference gives Africa a democratic model"], ''The New York Times'', 25 June 1991.</ref>