Central African Republic

1) What have been your achievements in CAA and aviation in your country in 2022 ?

The Central African Republic (CAR), as its name implies, is a landlocked country located in the very heart of the African continent and is mainly accessed by land and by air.

The Bangui M’poko International Airport, the country’s most important infrastructure, which was destroyed during the painful events of the past, is undergoing a rebirth. The security fencing has been completed, the lighting on the aircraft movement areas has been completely reworked, as well as the control tower and the electric power plant. Work on the rehabilitation of the terminal will soon commence.

Furthermore, the airport, which was operating a H12, will very soon resume its H24 – continuous round-the-clock operation, thanks to ASECNA for the support being provided.

2) What are your challenges and how can AFCAC assist you?

As the necessary infrastructure is being put in place, there is a need for qualified personnel for a more efficient operation of the hub; consequently, training will be a core requirement. In addition, as the Central African Republic currently holds the Vice-Presidency of the Bureau of AFCAC (Central Africa Region), the CAA’s expectations from this specialized agency of the African Union in the area of air transport are naturally high in the area of capacity building for its staff.

3) Your commitment to SAATM: how are you going to proceed with the implementation?

When we take a look at the list of the 18 member States mentioned earlier, out of the 54 that make up the African Union, the Central African Republic is not part.  Nevertheless, the CAA has embarked on the first step of the project by signing of an MoU with AFCAC. Efforts are now underway to bring the country to the final leg of the ratification process.

4) What can you say about SAATM PIP?

The SAATM is a major instrument for achieving the integration of our continent and therefore requires the support of all its member states to become fully operational.

According to experts, our continent exhibits an untapped and tremendous economic potential in the years to come and in order to capitalize on this unique opportunity, we must break away from the so-called exclusionary system and move towards a global approach to better face the challenges ahead.