APA-Brazzaville (Republic of Congo) The government in Brazzaville has discredited reports suggesting a coup was taking place against President Denis Nguesso.
There were unconfirmed reports on Sunday claiming that an insurrection by the Congolese army was underway in Brazzaville to remove Mr. Nguesso who has travelled to New York for the 78th UN General Assembly.
Reacting to the reports, the government maintains that no such insurrection had taken place, dismissing them as machinations aimed at sowing the seeds of mayhem in the country.
It calls for calm among the Congolese population, urging them to go about their daily business without any misgivings about the political situation in the country.
As of Monday, there appears to be normality in the capital Brazzaville and other cities where people seem to be going about their business.
There is no visible presence of troops in the streets.
Rumours of a coup follow a recent string of successful and not so successful coups in West and Central Africa, the last being last months overthrow in Gabon of former president Ali Bongo.
There was a similar coup in Niger which removed civilian president Mohamed Bazoum in July and others in Burkina Faso. Guinea, Mali and Chad.
Nguesso, 79 has been in power since his second spell as Congolese president in 1997.
His first stint lasted from 1979 to 1992.
WN/as/APA