Hundreds of people filled the streets of Bangui on Friday, and rain did not stop them. The CAR cost of living protests, led by the opposition, put the price of everyday life at the centre of the country’s politics.
“People can no longer afford to live”
The march was called by the Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution (BRDC), an opposition coalition. It was the group’s first major public demonstration since a citywide shutdown last month. Security forces and UN peacekeepers watched over the authorised march.
BRDC member Samson Ngaïbino told Africanews that Central Africans can no longer afford to live. He called on President Faustin-Archange Touadéra to act and demanded lower fuel prices.
The numbers behind the anger
Petrol now sells for more than 1,100 CFA francs a litre. The BRDC wants it brought down to 850. Spokesperson Martin Ziguélé described a country where money barely circulates, businesses struggle and young people cannot find work. He said fuel prices go up every six or seven months.
Anyone who has watched transport fares climb in Lagos, Nairobi or Kinshasa will recognise the pattern. When fuel rises, so does the cost of food, taxis and goods. In a landlocked country like the Central African Republic, where everything travels long distances, the effect hits harder.
Fear and an ultimatum
Money was not the only grievance. Protesters also demanded the release of five civil society leaders arrested on October 15. Ziguélé said many people are afraid to speak out because anyone who does risks prison, threats or being hunted down.
The coalition gave the government two or three weeks to respond. If nothing changes, it says it will follow what young people are discussing on social media and act together with them.
What comes next
For the BRDC, Friday’s turnout was a success. But the real test lies ahead. Touadéra, sworn in for a third term in March, now faces pressure on two fronts: prices at the pump and the detention of activists.
The next few weeks will show whether the government chooses talks or tension. Across Africa, cost-of-living anger has toppled governments before. Bangui will be watched closely.
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