On August 4^th 2016, the President of Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadéra, will visit   Kaga-Bandoro (Nana-Gribizi prefecture). This is his first official visit in this region since the election in February. Touadéra is highly appreciated in this region and during the last election he has got the exceptional record of 90.65% of the votes. The populations are impatient to welcome their candidate and his delegation.

MINUSCA has provided support for the mobilization.  The authorities and the population have contributed to prepare the visit, to make it a great success. They have cleaned the main roads, as well as the main places that will host the President and his team. "It is a great pleasure for us to welcome our new President. We are really happy of it, because it will allow us to directly express our expectations in terms of security concerns and reconstruction needs to the President,” has argued Agnes Djamndo, a teacher and city councilor in Kaga-Bandoro.

The mayor, Abel Schérif, has explained that there is still banditry in the region, and robberies are often reported. "We want that to stop with the deployment of military, police, and military police (gendarmes) contingents to restore security and bring back peace." He has added that "the launch of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) program is essential and indispensable for peace and stability to be permanent." There are still armed elements belonging to ex-Seleka, and anti Balaka groups in Kaga Bandoro.

A part from the security issues, the population of Kaga-Bandoro also would like the new Head of state and his team to identify and implement sustainable solutions to the many economic development challenges they actually face. "During the last three years of instability, the economy of this region and the entire country has been completely destroyed by the conflicts. Most of the people are farmers and with the ongoing insecurity, they cannot move freely and cultivate their farms," has pointed out Pastor Vincent Enza, president of the regional synod of Nana-Gribizi. According to him, this situation involve a food insecurity which is actually affecting many households. He would also like this presidential to contribute to the restoration of peace and confidence among the population, to enable them to return to their farms.

"We are a population of farmers. Our main activity is farming. Our economic development should necessarily involve a support of agriculture”, has commented Gervais Sanze, Abbe of the Catholic Church in Kaga-Bandoro. He has explained that the lack of adequate road infrastructures is also a major factor blocking economic development in the region. The other issues are healthcare, access to quality education for their children, restoration of State authority, access to Justice, etc.

During his visit, President Touadéra will meet the local authorities, civil society organizations, representatives of the armed groups and international partners. They will discuss about the various challenges they meet in their daily work, in order to implement the disarmament program, bring back peace and security to enable the population to focus on the socio-economic development of their region. MINUSCA will keep supporting the Central African Republic’s Government on a daily basis in the process of pacification and stabilization of the country, in accordance with its new mandate.