Longtime ruler Denis Sassou Nguesso is widely favored to win re-election in the Republic of Congo's presidential vote on Sunday. However, the election is overshadowed by voter apathy and accusations of repression from rights groups.

• Denis Sassou Nguesso, 82, has ruled the oil-producing Central African nation for all but five years since 1979, facing six little-known challengers.
• Key opposition figures like General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and André Okombi Salissa are imprisoned after being convicted of undermining state security.
• Human rights activists report a "climate of fear" due to arrests, suspended opposition parties, and a recent violent crackdown on youth gangs.