To improve relations, President Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic (CAR) met with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris. This meeting marks a significant step towards thawing the strained ties between Paris and Bangui, the capital of CAR. President Touadera’s visit to Paris serves as a brief stopover before heading to Cuba for an international meeting and then to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Tensions between Paris and Bangui have existed since the arrival of the Russian Wagner Group militia in CAR in 2018. Although it would be premature to claim that Paris and Bangui have entirely reconciled, relations have noticeably improved over the past six months. In March, the two presidents met in Gabon during a climate summit. Additionally, President Touadera made a gesture of goodwill by facilitating the release of French national Rémy Quignolot. An additional meeting was planned for June during the Global Financial Compact Summit in the French capital, but it did not take place. The current meeting between President Touadera and President Macron is described by the Élysée as taking place “within the context of resumed dialogue and a positive dynamic in bilateral relations.”
The discussions between the two presidents will cover various topics, including the political transition in Gabon, where President Touadera recently visited as a facilitator for the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC). However, Paris is primarily interested in the internal situation of CAR. Both France and the United States are advocating for the departure of the Wagner Group, which has weakened following a mutiny in late June and the recent death of Evgeny Prigozhin. Despite these setbacks, the group has not shown signs of disengagement in CAR, where it has developed economic activities with significant influence within the state. On the Central African side, there is a desire to resume international budgetary aid, which was suspended due to CAR’s connection with Wagner.