generate questions: Sassou Nguesso aligned the country with the Eastern Bloc and signed a twenty-year friendship pact with the Soviet Union. Over the years, Sassou had to rely more on political repression and less on patronage to maintain his dictatorship.
Which group of nations did Nguesso side the Congo with? {sep_token} Which Eastern Bloc nation did Nguesso sign a pact with? {sep_token} What is a word that can be used to describe Sassou's type of government? {sep_token} What was an important tool of the Sassou government?