Miss Universe Congo Halted After Showdown Between Organizers and Congolese Authorities

Congo’s Ministry of Culture requested that activities related to organizing Miss Universe Republic of the Congo stop in a letter dated September 18, 2026. Organizers’ efforts to have the decision reconsidered failed. On October 23, Sonia Joséphine Jacquet announced her departure as deputy national director and official focal point, along with the end of her agency’s collaboration with the Cœur Africain NGO. The project’s suspension and criticism of Georgina Kambongo’s origins and eligibility to represent Congo have put her participation in Miss Universe 2026 at risk.