Central African Republic: New government in place

According to Reuters, the recently elected president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has named a prime minister and other members of his cabinet. Touadera has also held talks on bilateral relations between the Vatican and the Central African Republic.

The recently elected president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has named a prime minister and other members of his cabinet, as reported by Reuters on April 11, 2016. The cabinet has 23 members and includes not only allies of the president, but also some of his rivals who had run for the presidency against him. Many of the cabinet members are returning to the country after several years in exile and bring with them their experience of working for international organisations and corporate entities abroad. The presidents’ former campaign manager, Simplice Sarandji, has been appointed prime minister.

In a separate news item brought by CNA on April 18, 2016, Touadera met Pope Francis in Rome and held talks on the bilateral relations between the Vatican and the Central African Republic.

“The formation of a cabinet that includes both the president’s allies and rivals is another sign of the progress that Central African Republic is making towards stability and peace. The cabinet has a daunting task of consolidating democracy in the country and bringing about peace and reconciliation. The cabinet also needs to rebuild the economy and address the famine in the country that is threatening millions. Support from international actors such as the Vatican could be very important in these efforts. The Pope has significant moral authority in the country, which was boosted by his recent visit. This was an important symbolic gesture and the Pope’s message of reconciliation could well have a positive impact,” says persecution analyst at Open Doors World Watch Research, Yonas Dembele.

Central African Republic is ranked #26 on the Open Doors 2016 World Watch List of places where Christian persecution is worst.