00:00Life in the Republic of Congo is returning to normal.
00:03Just days after a high-stakes election, one expected to extend President Denis Sassou
00:09Nguesso's decades-long rule.
00:11But the vote wasn't without controversy.
00:14On Sunday, a nationwide internet blackout hit, with NetBlox reporting a sharp drop in
00:19connectivity, raising serious concerns about transparency and access to information during
00:24the election.
00:28Yes, the lack of communication does have an impact because we are families, there are
00:33families on the other side, so we still need to stay in touch to find out what was going
00:38on over there.
00:44During his campaign, Sassou boasted of his economic record, yet more than half of the population
00:49still lives below the poverty line, casting a shadow over his efforts.
00:56We live day-to-day.
00:58We have to make a sale every day to feed our children, but yesterday we couldn't come to
01:03the workshop to work.
01:07Critics say the country's growth has been drained by vast oil revenues allegedly siphoned
01:12off by senior officials, and for many young people there's little hope, resigned to the
01:16idea that this election will bring real change.
01:22We are waiting for the results, there won't be anything out of the ordinary.
01:26We young people are already taking charge of our own lives through the work we do.
01:30We are already fighting to take charge of our own lives.
01:33In this workshop we create sculptures, and we are just waiting for the markets to open
01:37so that we artists can be supported, because the markets for what we do don't exist, and
01:42that makes things difficult for us.
01:47Sassou did not face many challenges, with two of the most well-known opposition leaders
01:53in prison, while others are in exile.
01:56Several opposition parties boycotted the election, saying the process lacked credibility.
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