Central African Republic warns fuel protest is illegal

The Central African Republic government warned Saturday that a planned opposition protest over fuel price increases would be illegal.

The Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution, or BRDC, has called another protest for Friday, November 13. Government spokesman Evariste Ngamana said: “They will not be able to go out and march because it will be illegal.”

The BRDC organised a shutdown of the capital, Bangui, on October 12. Four senior civil society officials were arrested and jailed after that action.

The Central African Republic has faced widespread discontent since fuel prices increased at the start of October. The country is landlocked and import-dependent, and security and logistical problems frequently lead to fuel shortages and push people toward the black market.

Ngamana said the government “will not allow disorder” and said the country must respect the rule of law. There was no immediate indication of what action the government would take to stop the protest.

The government considers the BRDC “illegitimate and illegal”. The BRDC wants the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested on October 12 and a cut in fuel prices to less than 1,000 CFA francs, or $1.70, a litre.

The October price rise put petrol at 1,150 CFA francs a litre and diesel at 1,400 CFA francs a litre.