Central African Republic Defends 12% Diesel Price Rise
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC · ECONOMY
Key Facts
- —What happened The government spokesperson defended the 1 October fuel price rise on Friday.
- —The numbers Diesel rose 12% to 1,400 CFA francs (about US$2.39) a litre.
- —The reason The government says the state treasury can no longer fund subsidies.
- —The pushback Ten union centrals demand pay rises or a full reversal.
- —Still open Civil society has called a Bangui shutdown for Monday, 12 October.
The Central African Republic refuses to reverse a fuel price rise that gave it the highest petrol price in its regional bloc.
The government of the Central African Republic on Friday, 9 October, defended the fuel price rise it imposed on 1 October. Its spokesperson told Radio Ndeke Luka, the country’s main independent radio station, that the state of the treasury justified the decision.
The statement answers ten trade union centrals that want higher wages or a full reversal of the increase.
It matters beyond Bangui because a cash-strapped state now faces a test of public patience. The country hosts a large UN peacekeeping mission and Russian security contractors.
What the Government Said on Friday
Évariste Ngamana is Minister of State for Communication and the government’s official spokesperson. In a Friday interview, he said the state of the treasury justified raising pump prices, Radio Ndeke Luka reported.
A day earlier, on Thursday, 8 October, Ngamana held a press conference in Bangui. He urged residents to ignore a civil society call for a “ville morte”, a day when shops and transport stay shut.
He also said the authorities “still favour the path of dialogue and negotiations”, the radio reported. The government has not announced any change to the new prices.
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, in office since 2016, has taken the same line.
On Monday, 5 October, he said the treasury “no longer has the means” to keep subsidising fuel. The regional business outlet Ecomatin reported the remarks.
How Much Fuel Now Costs
Edwige Opportune Pouninguinza, the Minister of Energy and Hydraulics, announced the new prices on Thursday, 1 October. They took effect immediately, according to the regional financial outlets Sikafinance and Ecomatin.
Petrol, sold locally as “super”, rose from 1,050 to 1,150 CFA francs a litre (from about US$1.79 to US$1.96). Diesel rose from 1,250 to 1,400 CFA francs a litre (from about US$2.14 to US$2.39), an increase of 12%.
For comparison with a US pump, that puts petrol at about US$7.44 a gallon and diesel at about US$9.05. Large commercial buyers now pay 1,500 CFA francs (about US$2.56) for petrol and 1,650 CFA francs (about US$2.82) for diesel.
Sikafinance reported that the new petrol price is the highest in CEMAC, the six-nation Central African monetary union. Neighbouring Cameroon sold petrol at 840 CFA francs (about US$1.44) in September, and Gabon at 595 CFA francs (about US$1.02).
Conversions use open.er-api.com rates of 10 October 2026, where US$1 buys 585.28 CFA francs.
Unions and Civil Society Push Back
Ten trade union centrals, including the CCTC, CGTC and CTID, wrote to the government’s discussion committee, Radio Ndeke Luka reported on Friday.
Copies went to the presidency, the National Assembly and the prime minister’s office.
The unions want higher salaries and pensions to offset the loss of purchasing power. If that fails, they demand that the fuel price rise be cancelled outright.
They say they have not yet launched any protest action. They warn, however, that public anger over the cost of living is growing.
A separate front comes from civil society. The iGwé platform and the OGDC, a governance watchdog, called the shutdown for Monday, 12 October.
The two groups announced it on 8 October in Bangui, Corbeau News Centrafrique reported. They asked taxi, bus and motorbike-taxi drivers to stop work from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Their demands include withdrawal of the increase and pump prices below 900 CFA francs (about US$1.54). They also want the full price structure published, including taxes and margins.
Why the Treasury Is Under Strain
The country is landlocked and produces no oil, so it imports all of its fuel. Most of it travels by road through Cameroon on the long Douala-Bangui corridor, which adds transport costs.
Ecomatin, reporting his remarks, linked the increase to higher world crude prices driven by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. It reported that holding diesel at the old price cost the state about 350 CFA francs (about US$0.60) per litre.
According to Corbeau News Centrafrique, Touadéra also accused unnamed opponents of exploiting the issue “to put the population in the street”. He asked that the debate take place with workers and businesses instead.
What It Means for US Readers
Few US companies trade directly with the Central African Republic, so the direct market impact is small. The story matters more as a signal of how high oil prices squeeze fragile, import-dependent African states.
Fuel protests in such states can turn into wider unrest. That is relevant to Washington, which helps fund the UN peacekeeping mission in the country and watches Russia’s security role there.
The US State Department rates the country Level 4, “Do Not Travel”, in an advisory issued on 15 January 2026. The US Embassy in Bangui provides no consular services; Americans are referred to the embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
What Is Not Known
The text of the ministerial decision on the new prices could not be found online. The figures come from regional outlets, not from a published government document.
It is not known whether the government will meet the unions, or offer any wage or pension measure. Nor is it known how many businesses and drivers will observe the shutdown on Monday.
The price of kerosene, which many households use for lighting, was not reported. The size of the subsidy bill for the whole budget has not been published either.
What Comes Next
The first test is the shutdown on Monday, 12 October, in Bangui. The unions’ letter to the government’s discussion committee is the second track to watch.
A further signal will be whether the government publishes the ministerial decision and the full price structure that civil society groups demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did fuel prices rise in the Central African Republic?
Petrol rose to 1,150 CFA francs (about US$1.96) a litre, from 1,050. Diesel rose to 1,400 CFA francs (about US$2.39), from 1,250.
Why did the government raise fuel prices?
The government says the state treasury can no longer pay fuel subsidies. Ecomatin linked the rise to higher world oil prices driven by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
What do the unions want?
Ten union centrals want higher salaries and pensions to make up for the increase. If that fails, they demand that the increase be cancelled.
What is a ville morte?
A ville morte, or dead city, is a protest in which shops, transport and offices stay closed for a day. Civil society groups have called one in Bangui for Monday, 12 October.
Is it safe for Americans to travel to the Central African Republic?
The US State Department advises Americans not to travel there, its highest Level 4 warning. The US Embassy in Bangui offers no consular services.
Sources: Radio Ndeke Luka, government cites treasury constraints; Radio Ndeke Luka, unions demand pay rise or cancellation; Radio Ndeke Luka, government urges people to ignore shutdown; Corbeau News Centrafrique, shutdown call; Corbeau News Centrafrique, Touadéra remarks; Sikafinance; Ecomatin; US State Department travel advisory (all accessed 10 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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