Albert’s Column...

Having come to power in 2016 with the image of a "president for the poor" and a peacemaker, Faustin Touadéra is now completing a decade at the helm of the Central African Republic. Ten years later, the gap between official rhetoric and the daily reality faced by Central Africans raises a central question: what has actually been achieved, beyond mere grand announcements? An investigation into a strategy of perpetual starting-over.
• What was promised: An inclusive economic revival, a lower cost of living, job creation for the youth, and an equitable redistribution of national wealth.
• The reality 10 years later: More than 70% of the population still lives below the poverty line. Inflation is suffocating households, exacerbated by a surge in fuel prices at the pump. The creation of local wealth remains at a complete standstill.
• The striking figure: $400 — This is the average GDP per capita, which has remained desperately stagnant for a decade.
• What was promised: The paving of major roads connecting the provinces to the capital, an end to constant power outages, and the construction of social housing.
• The reality 10 years later: The internal road network is in a state of catastrophic disrepair, isolating entire regions and paralyzing trade. Major energy projects—essential for industry—have, for the most part, never progressed beyond the signing of protocols.
• What was promised: The reconstruction of basic public services, truly free healthcare for the most vulnerable, and the modernization of the education system.
• The reality 10 years later: Public healthcare facilities are critically short of essential medicines and basic equipment. In schools, a shortage of qualified teachers has forced parent-teacher associations to fund staff salaries themselves.
• What was promised: An inclusive and sincere political dialogue with all the nation’s vital forces, and strict respect for democratic institutions.
• The reality 10 years later: The regime has taken an authoritarian turn. The transition to the Seventh Republic, via the 2023 Constitution, removed the safeguard of term limits—paving the way for a presidency for life and signaling a complete breakdown in dialogue with the opposition.
To mask this lackluster track record, the authorities have employed a well-honed strategy: obscuring past broken promises by staging grand international financial summits. From the 2016 Brussels conference (where $2.2 billion was pledged) to the 2025 Casablanca round table (where $9 billion was announced), there has been a constant stream of promises involving billions—all of which remain purely theoretical. In practice, the actual disbursement of funds remains blocked by insecurity, a lack of transparency in the governance of the mining sector, and the administration’s insufficient technical capacity.


By Albert FALL/LNC

For: LAMINE MEDIA (in FR and EN)
Date: October 17, 2026
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