BRDC Press Conference, Friday, September 12, 2026

By Marienne ZINGOUT | LAMINE MÉDIA
Translated into English by Susan CARTER-JONES l LNC

(Bangui, September 12, 2026 | LAMINE MÉDIA) Unsurprisingly, the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (BRDC)—which, it is worth recalling, acts as a sort of coalition of opposition parties—voiced harsh criticism regarding the first six months of Touadéra’s new term. This took place yesterday during a press conference held by Martin Ziguélé, the BRDC spokesperson. Amidst the criticism, he stated: "According to the government itself, the mining sector experienced a significant boom in 2025–2026; the government declared that over 100 mining permits—followed by actual extraction operations—were granted during that period. Circulating figures suggest the annual export value of Central African gold exceeds 300 billion CFA francs. Our question is simple: Can President Touadéra and his government explain directly to the Central African people why the state budget records less than 5 billion CFA francs in taxes and levies from the gold sector?"
He went on to ask: "Who is exploiting the Ndassima gold deposit?" or, more specifically: "Can President Touadéra and his government tell the Central African people exactly who is exploiting the Ndassima gold deposit, while providing legal and regulatory details regarding the tax revenue generated by that mine and the actual financial returns to the Central African Public Treasury?"
In his speech delivered on August 13, Touadéra presented a very different assessment of his record. In his statement, he even asserts that the country has made significant progress since 2016, particularly in the areas of security, health, energy, and education. However, he acknowledges that many challenges remain. It is still a bit early for any government reaction to Ziguélé's recent press conference.
Broadly speaking, however, the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (BRDC) has denounced a staggering discrepancy between Central African gold exports—estimated at over 300 billion CFA francs—and tax revenues yielding less than 5 billion CFA francs for the public treasury. The opposition is demanding explanations regarding the management of this financial windfall and full transparency concerning the exploitation of the country's strategic deposits. The BRDC condemns the mismanagement and the financial black hole associated with gold mining in the Central African Republic.

For: LAMINE MEDIA (in FR and GB)
Date: September 12, 2026
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