The government in Congo-Brazzaville has denied reports of an attempted coup against President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has been in power for 39 years.

It follows rumours on social media that the military had been trying to oust the 79-year-old leader, who is currently in the US attending a UN summit with other world leaders.

“The government denies this fake news,” Information Minister Thierry Moungalla posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, saying he wanted to reassure members of the public they could “go about their activities calmly”.

The government’s website also posted a statement denying the coup attempt reports.

There has been a wave of coups across Africa in recent months, mostly recently in neighbouring Gabon, where the military seized power in August.

Mr Sassou Nguesso rose to power in the oil-producing central African country in a military coup in 1979. He lost Congo’s first multi-party elections in 1992 but regained power in 1997 after a civil war.

The Congolese leader is the third-longest serving president in Africa, after Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema and Cameroon’s Paul Biya.