Central African Republic: those absent and present at the investiture of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra
President Faustin Archange Touadéra, during the ceremony to commemorate the second anniversary of the APPR, at the Renaissance Palace in Bangui, February 6, 2021. © Gaël Grilhot / RFI
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Faustin-Archange Touadéra is to be invested this Tuesday, March 30 for a new five-year term at the head of the Central African Republic.
An investiture that the authorities want "
dignified and sober
", according to the government spokesman, while the country is still in the grip of the conflict started in December and the main opposition coalition has not recognized the validation of the head of state.
This Monday, foreign delegations began to arrive.
Publicity
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With our special correspondent in Bangui
,
Florence Morice
Among the high personalities who arrived this Monday, March 29 in Bangui
for the investiture
, the President of Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye and two Prime Ministers, the Gabonese Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda and the Cameroonian Joseph Dion Ngute.
The presence of Rwandan President Paul Kagame was mentioned for a while.
Recall that Rwanda sent reinforcement troops in December to help the Central Africans fight the rebellion.
But this Monday evening, the name of the personality who will represent Kigali remained ultimately uncertain.
Also engaged militarily alongside the Central African Republic, Russia should be represented by its ambassador.
On its Facebook page, the embassy however announced that its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov telephoned the re-elected head of state to congratulate him.
On the French side, on the other hand, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne made the trip to mark, he said, this "
important moment
" and "
France's commitment to the country
".
You have seen again in recent months how precarious the situation was.
And therefore, it is important that there is a political solution, which allows all Central Africans to recognize themselves in the action carried out.
There is no military solution, and besides, President Touadera told us so, in those words, too.
So our wish is that this dialogue be fruitful, that it allows Central Africans to develop under better conditions.
Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, French Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Florence Morice
As for national politicians, the main opposition coalition on the other hand said on Monday that it would not send any representatives.
“
Because we do not recognize the legitimacy of this re-election,
” explains Nicolas Tiangaye, his spokesperson, and while the head of state has promised to initiate
a vast republican dialogue
in the coming weeks.
• The Russian ambassador in Bangui calls on former President François Bozizé to surrender or be neutralized
This is the threat formulated on Monday by Vladimir Titorenko during a press conference.
For him, the former head of state,
now coordinator of the CPC
(Coalition of Patriots for Change) which launched an offensive against the Faustin-Archange Touadéra regime last December, is faced with an alternative.
Mr. Bozizé and the other leaders who are on the Security Council's sanctions list must give up the fight against the government.
If they continue their struggle, I cannot exclude, during military operations they will be absolutely neutralized by the armed forces of your country.
Vladimir Titorenko, Ambassador of the Republic of Russia in Bangui
Florence Morice
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Central African Republic
Faustin-Archange Touadéra
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