UNDP and PBF Support Decentralization in CAR

By Aline M'PANGBA-YAMARA | LNC Director of LAMINE MÉDIA Editor-in-Chief of LNC

(Bangui, September 1, 2026 | LAMINE MÉDIA) By training elected officials from Bangui, Bimbo, and Bégoua, the UNDP and the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) are betting on bringing administration closer to citizens, moving away from traditional state centralism. Breaking the "Bangui-centric" mold: Public action in the Central African Republic has historically suffered from a deep-seated ailment—excessive centralization. Bangui monopolizes the vast majority of resources, decision-making power, and competencies, leaving outlying communes and the hinterland in an institutional vacuum that fosters instability. To break this cycle, capacity-building efforts are shifting to where the realities on the ground actually exist. From August 31 to September 4, a major training initiative is bringing together over a hundred local elected officials and municipal councilors in Bangui, with a primary focus on the key communes of Bimbo and Bégoua. The goal stated by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Bruno Yapandé, is clear: to equip municipalities with the technical tools needed for self-administration. This transition toward genuine autonomy cannot happen without strategic international support. This is where the partnership between the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) proves its true value: The PBF funds stability; the UN fund intervenes because it recognizes that a lack of local public services fuels security crises. Investing in municipalities means drying up the sources of local frustration. The UNDP provides the necessary expertise: over the course of five days, the development agency orchestrates essential training modules covering local governance, economic development, and financial management—viewing financial management as a tool for local sovereignty. Empowering local elected officials without teaching them how to manage a budget creates only an illusion of decentralization. By focusing on municipal financial management, the UNDP prepares these officials to mobilize their own resources and spearhead development projects—such as markets, roads, and schools—rather than relying entirely on the central government. Bringing the administration closer to the people is, above all, about demonstrating to the population that their local government can improve their daily lives. Thanks to multifaceted support from the UN, Bimbo and Bégoua no longer wish to be the capital’s forgotten outposts, but rather new laboratories for peace in the Central African Republic. For: LAMINE MEDIA (in FR and GB)

Date: September 1, 2026

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