Fire at ANE

By Cathy MERCIER | LAMINE MEDIA

(Bangui, 20 September 2026 | LAMINE MEDIA) A serious fire has completely destroyed the data centre of the National Electoral Authority (ANE). The incident took place the night before last and, according to RFI, this is the second such incident in the same building in less than six months. Fortunately, the efforts of the fire brigade, MINUSCA and the civil defence services managed to bring the fire under control around midnight, by which time, thankfully, the staff had left the premises. It’s as simple as that – everything went up in flames, according to ANE President Mathias Morouba, speaking to the press: “All the ANE’s archives, as well as the electoral roll printing room, the printers, the scanners and around 70 new computers went up in smoke. Fortunately, we managed to save the server containing the electoral register.” Two fires in the space of just six months – and what if the fire was started deliberately to target specific data, as some observers and civil society representatives suspect? However, at this stage, there is nothing to confirm such a hypothesis.
An investigation has, however, been launched to determine the causes of the incident.
It remains to be seen whether this will affect the holding of the remaining elections; on this point, Mathias Morouba reassures us: “The elections will take place on 25 October. The data has been backed up, so we can easily organise the polls.” In short, the government – and, more certainly, international partners – are being called upon to help rebuild what has been destroyed.

For: LAMINE MEDIA (in French and English)
Photo: RNL/Jeff Dawo.
Date: 20 September 2026
Copyright ©: 2013–2026 All rights reserved: LAMINE MEDIA

BACK