Rising fuel prices in Bangui

By Antoinette KODROGUÉ | LNC
Translated into English by Susan CARTER-JONES l LNC


(Bangui, 30 September 2026 | LNC) Already criticised by the World Bank for its structural lack of transparency, the hydrocarbons sector in the Central African Republic is set to face another severe blow. Managed at the whim of the Touadéra clan, the Central African fuel market — already the most expensive in the entire CEMAC zone — faces an imminent rise in prices at the pump. To defuse the simmering social time bomb, the government has sent the Minister of Labour, Annie Michelle Mouanga, to the front line, instructing her to open emergency negotiations with the trade unions to justify the unjustifiable.
Why the Minister of Labour, and why the trade unions? Behind this ‘mystery and smoke and mirrors’, Bangui’s strategy is crystal clear: to pre-empt the paralysis of the country by stifling the anger of the trade union federations in the face of the inevitable rise in transport fares and the cost of basic necessities. Speaking to the social partners, the minister struck an alarmist tone: ‘We are currently in a crisis, and this crisis is global. And, amongst other things, what concerns us in the Central African Republic is the issue relating to hydrocarbons.” She added that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Félix Moloua, consultations were underway to “see how we can prepare for this shock that is coming”. A clear admission that the official price rise has already been finalised by the executive.
The government is attempting to cast itself in the role of regulator in the face of a price rise that is already taking place informally on the streets of the capital. “An inter-ministerial committee has been set up. We have been working with the marketers, who are our partners,” said the minister. However, this is a bit of a stretch. Three years ago, Central Africans were already facing a historic price surge: petrol soared by 50.3 per cent (rising from 865 to 1,300 CFA francs) and diesel climbed by 69.6 per cent to peak at 1,450 CFA francs per litre. Bangui is paying dearly for its status as a net importer, whilst neighbouring oil-producing countries such as Congo and Gabon manage to cushion the impact of global crude oil price fluctuations.
This surge in energy prices is, above all, shattering the promises made to international institutions. With energy costs spiralling in this way, the target of bringing inflation down to 3.3 per cent by the end of 2026 – projected by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to stabilise the national economy – now seems nothing short of a pipe dream. As for Russia, the country’s patron, it is once again attempting to play the role of the arsonist-turned-firefighter. Moscow has just announced the imminent dispatch of a new humanitarian donation of fuel and lubricants to Bangui.
The government is attempting to cast itself in the role of regulator in the face of a rise that is already taking place. Free aid similar to that provided in January 2025 (29,400 tonnes of diesel), which will provide temporary relief to the capital’s depots, but which will do nothing to tackle the mafia and the structural failings of a completely stifled oil sector. It Free aid similar to that provided in January 2025 (29,400 tonnes of diesel), which will offer temporary relief to the capital’s depots, but which will do nothing to tackle the mafia and the structural failings of a completely stifled oil sector.

LNC
Date: 30 September 2026
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