Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, an opposition politician in the Republic of the Congo, died of COVID-19 as he was being transferred to France for treatment, his campaign director said Monday, the day after presidential elections in which Kolelas was the main challenger. 

Kolelas "died in the medical aircraft which came to get him from Brazzaville on Sunday afternoon," Christian Cyr Rodrigue Mayanda told AFP.  

The 61-year-old tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday afternoon, and was unable to host his last campaign event in Brazzaville.