Central African Republic (CAR): New prime minister after resignation crisis

As reported by Al-Jazeera on 10 June 2021, CAR"s prime minister since February 2019, Firmin Ngrebada, resigned along with the entire cabinet after a political crisis erupted over France"s announcement to suspend joint-military operations in the country. Henri Marie Dondra, former Finance Minister, has now been named the new prime minister (Al-Jazeera, 11 June 2021). World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Since 2013, CAR has seen waves of deadly fighting that have killed thousands of people and displaced many more. Violence flared up again in 2020 after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozize"s bid to run in December"s presidential election. Since December 2020, the army (backed by the 12,000-strong UN MINUSCA peacekeepers, Rwandan special forces and Russian paramilitaries) has wrested much of the territory from rebel control. Critics had been calling for Firmin Ngrebada"s departure since March 2021, when President Touadera was sworn in for another five-year term. Some critics have been particularly concerned about the prime minister"s apparent ties to Russia, whose influence in CAR is growing." Yonas Dembele adds: "It is good for Christians and all citizens that a certain amount of political stability has returned to the country. However, it remains to be seen how effective Ngrebada"s successor will be in countering the growing presence of armed Islamist groups in vital sectors of the country"s economy."