New Central African President Touadéra meets with Kabila in DRC

By

Darell Maurice

Congolese President Joseph Kabila held discussions with his Central African counterpart, Faustin-Archange Touadéra on his vision for the Central African crisis to enable it to cope with the problems in his country, during a meeting earlier this week at the Palace of the Nation in Kinshasa.

The new Central African Republic President said afterwards, in coming to Kinshasa, that he was grateful “to have the advice and guidance of the President Joseph Kabila on issues that CAR is facing, in the light of the experience it has gained in management of a post-conflict country.”

President Faustin-Archange Touadér also reported having discussed with his Congolese counterpart “ways and means that can help to improve the lives of CAR refugees in DRC and those who wish to return to the fold.”

In response to one question, the CAR President-elect laid the flowers on the Central African people for having massively participated in the vote, saying that “Central Africans want to turn their back on the crisis and want peace.” To his countrymen from all sides, the new Head of the Central African state sent a reassuring message: “We will do everything so that there is national reconciliation, national cohesion and social cohesion to enable our countrymen (who fled abroad) to return to the country, for those who want to.”

After thanking President Joseph Kabila for having agreed to receive him in Kinshasa, the Head of the Central African state promised during his term as head of the CAR to continue and revitalize cooperation with the Democratic Republic of Congo for the interest of the peoples of both countries. “We are neighbors and brothers. We have almost the same people on both sides of the Ubangi river,” he said.

Professor of Mathematics, former rector of the University of Bangui and then deputy, the new Head of the Central African state will succeed Catherine Samba-Panza, transitional President since 23 January 2014.

Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013, when he resigned, Faustin-Archange Touadéra was elected President of the Central African Republic in 2016 following the second round of presidential elections. Mr. Touadéra, the last prime minister of former President Francois Boziz, who was overthrown in 2013, had collected 62.71 % of the votes against 37.29 % for his rival, Anicet-Georges Dologuélé.

Darell Maurice

Darell Maurice is a Journalist based in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital city Kinshasa and works for Canal7kintv. He also blogs here.