Alindao: Opposition to the Municipal Council

By Antoinette KODROGUÉ | LNC
Translated into English by Karen Ann SULLIVAN l LNC

(Alindao, September 18, 2026 | LNC) In Alindao, in the Basse-Kotto region, the installation of the municipal council was met with fierce opposition from an angry segment of the population—a rare occurrence in the Central African Republic, where citizens typically comply docilely with the demands of the authorities (or those recognized as such). The legitimacy of the new mayor and his council was already heavily disputed, and security forces had to intervene to disperse the protesters. These events took place on Tuesday, September 15.
It all began during the playing of the national anthem; protesters decided to disrupt the ceremony, leading to chaos. Security forces attempted to control the crowd—albeit in vain—and officials were forced to take shelter in a nearby room. Despite the turmoil, however, the new mayor and his councilors were successfully installed.
Emmanuel Zoungbada, one of the disgruntled protesters, recounted the events: "We are at a loss for words regarding our country. We were asked to participate in the elections; candidacy files were validated, candidates were selected, and campaign posters and ballots were made ready. We spent a great deal of money. Yet, just as we were preparing for the election campaigns, they came and imposed a mayor on us. He is one of the candidates—they simply appointed him. That is against the law. They opened fire on us. What did we do wrong?" City administrative authorities state that they were merely carrying out a court ruling. Georges Gilbert Gbangoudou, the Sub-Prefect of Alindao, defended the action, saying: "I informed my superiors; they told me to stick to the schedule and swear them into office. That is what I did. I do not view this as disorder. When the judiciary issues a ruling, it must be executed. As the saying goes: no one is above the law, and no one can challenge a decision by the Constitutional Court." It is worth noting that no arrests were made during these altercations; however, the new mayor was taken to the MINUSCA compound as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, the ANE (National Elections Authority) has clarified that there will be no new elections following the Constitutional Court's validation of the August 26 vote, which confirmed the victory of the candidate from the ruling MCU party. In an act of protest, demonstrators held a peaceful, silent march.

Date: September 18, 2026
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