Central African Republic appoints new prime minister following resignation of bloc government

Former finance minister Henri Marie Dondra has been appointed the new prime minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), following the resignation on Thursday of his predecessor Firmin Ngrebada and the entire government en bloc.

According to a decree published late on Friday, Dondra was appointed "prime minister" and "head of government" by the Central African president, Faustin Archange Touadéra.

Dondra, who is considered close to Touadéra, is known for his knowledge of international aid and finance programmes, which are very important for CAR, one of the world's poorest countries.

Dondra took office after Ngrebada and his entire government resigned on Thursday, at a time when the country is engaged in fighting rebel groups and in a crisis with France, a former metropolis and traditional ally.

Touadéra's former chief of staff, Ngrebada had been prime minister since February 2019, after helping to draw up a peace deal signed that month in Khartoum with 14 armed groups to end the civil war raging in the country.

The resignation was announced after France this week suspended military aid and cooperation in CAR, whose army is supported by Russia, accusing the Central African government of failing to stop "massive disinformation campaigns" against the European country.

The rift was sparked after a French citizen, Jean Remy Quignolot, was arrested in the capital Bangui in May and a photo of him with an arsenal of weapons was circulated on social media.

On Wednesday, CAR prosecutors charged Quignolot with espionage, conspiracy and harming national security.

CAR has suffered systemic violence since late 2012, when a coalition of Muslim-majority rebel groups - the Séléka - seized Bangui and overthrew President François Bozizé after ten years in power (2003-2013), starting a civil war.

As resistance against the Séléka attacks, Christian anti-Balaka militias were then formed, which, like the first group, ended up fragmented into a myriad of armed factions.

Today, despite the signing of the historic 2019 peace agreement, two-thirds of the country - rich in diamonds, uranium and gold - is still controlled by militias and the violence has already resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of more than a million.

Since the 27 December presidential elections - won by Touadéra - the six armed groups that make up the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), formed shortly before the elections, have been attacking different parts of the country.

On 13 January, these militias which, according to Touadéra and the United Nations, have the political support of Bozizé - something the latter denies - tried once again to take Bangui in an attack repelled by the army, Russian and Rwandan troops and the UN mission.