The reconciliation dialogue in the Central African Republic with the unarmed opposition and civil society, promised at the end of December 2020 by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, was finally held from 21 to 27 March. A total of 450 participants took part in the work, at the end of which 600 recommendations were proposed. All this without the participation of the Central African opposition.
Five themes were on the agenda of the week-long talks. These are peace and security, political governance and the rule of law, economic and social development and diplomacy. The 450 invited participants from civil society, government and unarmed political parties worked in committees.
Indeed, in the precincts of the National Assembly in Bangui, these discussions took place under sometimes stormy conditions. Especially when the supporters of the ruling party, the United Hearts Movement, had proposed the revision of the Constitution. This proposal had irritated some participants, in particular the representatives of civil society who had threatened to leave the room if it was included in the final report.
Thus, one of them says: “To blow up this lock to allow President Touadéra to run for a third, fourth, umpteenth term, we, as civil society, we can not support that …”, explains Gervais Lakosso.
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In his closing speech on Sunday, President Faustin Archange Touadera expressed his satisfaction that “the republican dialogue has achieved its objectives”. He felt that the work was characterised by “frankness, courtesy and tolerance” in arriving at the recommendations made. “You have pierced the abscess; no subject has been taboo. You have not hidden anything from the dark or glorious hours of our common history,” he said.
Furthermore, it should be noted that the politico-armed groups and the main opposition parties did not attend the republican dialogue. The latter, in a statement, announced their withdrawal, claiming that their demands, namely the inclusion of armed groups and the inclusion of the post-election crisis on the agenda, had not been met.
At the end of the dialogue, 600 recommendations had been formulated and all that remains is for the government to implement them.
As a reminder, the Central African Republic has been plunged into a security crisis involving various actors since 2013. Armed groups rule two-thirds of the country and regularly challenge the central government, presided over by Faustin Archange Touadéra, who has been in office since 2016 and was re-elected on 27 December in a climate of uncertainty.
