New Central African Republic Leader Confirmed Amid Political and Religious Turmoil
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The Central African Republic (CAR) confirmed former math professor Faustin-Archange Touadéra as president, a candidate vowing to unify his country, according to Reuters. The Central African nation went through its worst economic downfall in the country’s history, including a three-year conflict between rebel Muslim Séléka insurgents and Christian militias. The new president will be sworn in on March 25.
The Central African Republic (CAR) confirmed former math professor Faustin-Archange Touadéra as president, a candidate vowing to unify his country, according to Reuters. The Central African nation went through its worst economic downfall in the country’s history, including a three-year conflict between rebel Muslim Séléka insurgents and Christian militias. The new president will be sworn in on March 25.
Critics allege that the presidential race had been tainted with fraud, but the new president’s detractors plan to support him in restoring peace to a divided country. The Central African region is going through a transition point as leaders struggle to maintain power, and CAR’s former president, François Bozizé, was among many African leaders ousted from power in 2013.
In Bozizé’s case, Séléka fighters forced him out of office, causing many Christian militia groups to attack the nation’s Muslim minority. Touadéra, who was prime minister under Bozizé, won over 60% of the vote, as the public grew frustrated with an increasingly destabilized society. Many people in CAR consider violence and all that comes with that, including dire poverty, a way of life. The fighting has taken thousands of lives while forcing over 400,000 people from their homes. CAR is also one of the most unstable nations on the planet.
Touadéra faces a tough road in reforming the economy due to its lacking funds in the treasury. A great deal of the money had been stolen by armed rebel groups, and despite the country’s precious resources, the president will have to rely on foreign aid to sustain the government. Touadéra, however, plans to open his country to foreign investors, and some companies are beginning to express interest in mining the nation’s natural resources that include diamonds, oil, and gold.
One problem is that commodities are not the best investment to make in a climate of low commodity prices, and CAR will have to diversify its economy in the same way as oil-producing Nigeria.
With that, peace must prevail in CAR by disarming insurgents through peaceful means, in addition to the restoration of government legitimacy. The military is not equipped to deal with rebel militias, and armed groups have acted as tax authorities and customs agents in various regions, notes AFP.
U.N. forces maintain security, but the economy will not improve until the government provides a stable investment haven on its own. For the time being, economic growth will have to take a back seat as the nation finds useful solutions that provide safety for its people and the business community.
