Central African Chocolate

By Sofia VANDENBROECK | LNC
Translated into English by Karen Ann SULLIVAN l LNC


(Bangui, September 14, 2026 | LNC) We are in Reims, France, at the Lothaire chocolate factory. Here, a young Central African entrepreneur, Christian Gomina-Pampali, is showcasing chocolate produced in the Central African Republic, hoping this marks the start of an international career. Let’s look back at the origins of the idea. In 2025, Christian Gomina-Pampali won the "Faustin-Archange Touadéra Prize" (naturally!) for his chocolate paste project; now, here we are in France for his Western debut.
July 2023 saw the processing of the cocoa in France—a step preceding its commercialization in the country. This initiative, which adds value to Central African beans, is a source of pride for the Central African cocoa sector—an industry Christian Gomina-Pampali hopes to revitalize. Through his project, he aims to position the CAR among Africa's cocoa-producing nations; notably, he received his award at the FAFECA event directly from the hands of Touadéra himself. The only slight downside to all this? It seems the idea of ​​industrializing the sector never actually occurred to anyone.

LNC
Date: September 14, 2026
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