Central African Republic: Touadéra refers unions to the separation of powers in response to their demand for the release of the five leaders

The standoff over the release of five Central African civil society leaders has now given way to dialogue. After threats were used to secure their release, several organizations have opted to advocate with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra.

Received on October 21 by the Head of State, these organizations pleaded in favor of the five officials arrested following the "dead city" day of October 12, organized to protest against the rise in fuel prices.

This change of posture opens the door to appeasement and reflects a desire to prioritize dialogue with the authorities rather than prolonging a confrontation with potentially harmful consequences for all parties and the stability of republican institutions.

However, while the president's intervention may help to resolve the situation, the release of those arrested does not depend solely on the will of the head of state. This is essentially the principle reiterated by Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who invoked the separation of powers in response to requests from various organizations.

Beyond the legal issue, Faustin-Archange Touadéra also wanted to revisit the choice of the "dead city" day, which he considers inappropriate in a country still marked by the 2013 crisis. For him, peaceful marches supervised by law enforcement would have been a more appropriate way to express demands.

While awaiting a resolution to the situation, the five activists remain detained at the Gendarmerie's Research and Investigation Service (SRI). According to their lawyer, they have begun a hunger strike to demand their release and are still waiting to be received by the public prosecutor.

Cheick Omar Ouédraogo