Just weeks after Faustin Archange Touadéra’s inauguration, which ushered in the Seventh Republic, Martin Ziguélé, a former head of government and prominent leader of the MLPC, has once again spoken out. His intervention comes amidst a highly charged political atmosphere, where tensions between the ruling power and the opposition remain notably high in the Central African Republic.
Speaking from Bangui, Ziguélé presented a sobering assessment of the nation’s state. He contends that after a decade under the current administration, the daily lives of Centrafricans have shown no tangible improvement. Ziguélé underscored the critical need for genuine dialogue between political leaders and civil society stakeholders to reverse the prevailing negative trends in the country.
To support his argument, the opposition figure cited striking statistics regarding poverty. Based on a 2016 reference point, over half of the population lived below the poverty line, subsisting on less than 1,000 CFA francs per day. Projections for 2026 indicate this proportion could escalate to approximately two-thirds of residents. Compounding this are deep-seated structural issues such as inadequate access to essential services like water and electricity, severely degraded transport networks, and the proliferation of illicit roadblocks across the nation’s routes.
Ziguélé further highlighted the decline in agricultural output as a clear indicator of the country’s economic regression. Key agricultural sectors have collapsed; cotton cultivation, which once approached a robust 100,000 tons, now reportedly yields only around 2,000 tons. Furthermore, historical crops like coffee no longer provide reliable production statistics. Given these challenging conditions, Ziguélé firmly believes that national recovery hinges on a comprehensive political and economic overhaul.
Dialogue: essential for national progress
In Ziguélé’s view, open discussion between political factions is non-negotiable. He stressed that in a democratic system, dialogue serves as a vital tool for overcoming impasses and fostering stability. He also reminded listeners that the majority of the population resides in rural areas, directly enduring the consequences of geographical isolation and the breakdown of crucial production chains.
Following his inauguration on March 30, 2026, President Faustin Touadéra presented a positive overview of his two previous mandates, acknowledging, however, that significant challenges still lie ahead. Yet, for Martin Ziguélé, without broad and sincere consultation involving all active forces within the nation, it will prove exceedingly difficult to implement the necessary reforms for the Central African Republic’s genuine recovery and socio-economic development.