The Central African Republic and the Emirates sign an agreement for the construction of a new airport in Bangui

A Brics delegation has just concluded a several-day visit to Bangui.

As with each visit of the organization, numerous announcements of partnerships have been made, notably on railway lines to neighboring countries, or even on the deployment of 5G internet.

The most spectacular, signed Thursday January 18 with the Minister of Transport, Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba, and President Touadéra, concerns the construction of a new airport in the Central African capital, financed by the United Arab Emirates.

The current Bangui international airport no longer meets international standards (illustrative image).

© Charlotte Cosset/RFI

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Three hundred hectares of land must be made available by the Central African state in order to build this new airport outside Bangui.

The Emirati consortium would put on the table 200 million US dollars, more than 120 billion CFA francs, to deliver six runways, a passenger terminal, another for freight, storage warehouses, office and administration buildings, a shopping center, and five-star hotels.

The project for a second airport for the Central African capital has been discussed for several years, due to the poor state of the current Bangui-M'Poko site.

This does not meet international standards, the access road is in poor condition.

Due to lack of lighting, you can only stay there during the day.

Fuel stocks are regularly at their lowest, and the hotel offer does not meet the specifications of the major airlines.

The authorities see it as a means of opening up the country, and the start of major infrastructure projects.

However, this announcement arouses some skepticism.

Several Central African political and economic actors recall promises not followed through on, such as the installation of the Brics African headquarters in Bangui.

Or the development work on Monkey Island, part of which was sold to Qatar in 2009.

Also read: A Brics delegation to the Central African Republic to try to establish economic partnerships

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  • Brics

  • Central African Republic

  • United Arab Emirates

  • Faustin-Archange Touadéra

  • Transportation