Republic of Congo opposition candidate Kolelas dies of Covid-19

Gulf Today Report 

Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, opposition candidate of the Republic of Congo died on Monday from Covid-19, said his campaign director.

The Republic of Congo went to the polls on Sunday for its presidential election which Kolelas was the main challenger.

Kolelas "died in the medical aircraft which came to get him from Brazzaville on Sunday afternoon," Christian Cyr Rodrigue Mayanda said.

The sixty-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday afternoon and was scheduled to be transferred to France for treatment.

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Sunday's presidential election was boycotted by the main opposition and took place under an internet blackout, with critics voicing concerns over the transparency of polls seen as tilted towards veteran leader Denis Sassou Nguesso.

On Saturday, he posted a video from his sickbed, declaring he was "battling against death."

"Rise up as one person... I'm fighting on my deathbed, you too fight for your change," he urged his supporters, saying the election was "about the future of your children".

The election results will take some days but Sassou Nguesso is expected to emerge as the winner.