The Parti du Changement Social (PCS) issued a press release on September 12, 2026, delivering a severe assessment of the economic and social situation in the Central African Republic. Chancel Sekode-Ndeugbayi, President of the PCS, accused the Touadéra regime of aggravating poverty, maintaining mining opacity, and blocking political dialogue in the country. The opposition party specifically denounced what it termed "the economic and social chaos into which the TOUADERA regime has plunged the Central African Republic."
Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi stated that promises made at the start of the third mandate have given way to "une gestion scabreuse du pouvoir" (shameful management of power), characterized by "un appauvrissement continu de chaque Centrafricain" (a continuous impoverishment of every Central African). He added that "aucun Objectif de Développement durable ne sera atteint à l’horizon 2030" (no Sustainable Development Goal will be reached by 2030), and criticized the regime's focus on "la consommation et sur l’enrichissement illicite du gouvernement lui-même" (consumption and the illicit enrichment of the government itself). The PCS President also noted "une quasi-totale opacité vis-à-vis de l’État centrafricain lui-même" (a near-total opacity regarding the Central African state itself) in mining. He further noted that "plus de 87 % du budget national sert à couvrir les charges salariales des agents de l’État" (more than 87% of the national budget covers the salaries of state agents), and condemned "le musellement systématique de l’opposition" (the systematic muzzling of the opposition) and "le refus obstiné de tout dialogue politique réellement inclusif" (the obstinate refusal of any truly inclusive political dialogue).
Economic Hardship and Social Decline
The Parti du Changement Social (PCS) noted several statistics to show its claims of economic deterioration, citing an estimated economic growth of 2.6% for 2025. In contrast, the party noted a demographic growth of 3.5% for the same year. Chancel Sekode-Ndeugbayi, President of the PCS, stated that this disparity translates to "continuous impoverishment of every Central African." The opposition party further claimed that extreme poverty has risen from 52% to 67% of the population over the past ten years.
The PCS also reported a decrease in life expectancy within the country, from 60 years to 53 years. Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi estimated that "no Sustainable Development Goal will be met by 2030" if current trends in internal resource mobilization persist. He attributed the precarious situation to what he described as "une gestion scabreuse du pouvoir" (shameful management of power), characterized by "la consommation et sur l’enrichissement illicite du gouvernement lui-même" (consumption and the illicit enrichment of the government itself).
The PCS president further asserted that "plus de 87 % du budget national sert à couvrir les charges salariales des agents de l’État" (more than 87% of the national budget covers the salaries of state agents). He contended that this budget allocation leaves "the water, energy, health, education, and rural infrastructure sectors depleted." Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi also criticized what he termed "une quasi-totale opacité vis-à-vis de l’État centrafricain lui-même" (a near-total opacity regarding the Central African state itself) in mining operations. He condemned "le musellement systématique de l’opposition" (the systematic muzzling of the opposition) and "le refus obstiné de tout dialogue politique réellement inclusif" (the obstinate refusal of any truly inclusive political dialogue). Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi concluded by stating that "aucun bailleur de fonds international ne devrait s’autoriser à financer un pouvoir qui refuse la critique, intimide ses opposants et étouffe le débat démocratique" (no international donor should allow themselves to finance a power that refuses criticism, intimidates its opponents, and stifles democratic debate).
Opaque Resource Management
The Parti du Changement Social (PCS) has pointed to significant discrepancies in the Central African Republic's natural resource management, citing over 300 billion CFA francs in announced gold exports. Despite this reported figure, the opposition party claims that less than 5 billion CFA francs in corresponding taxes have reached the public treasury. Chancel Sekode-Ndeugbayi, President of the PCS, described the current situation as "une quasi-totale opacité vis-à-vis de l’État centrafricain lui-même" (a near-total opacity regarding the Central African state itself) in these operations.
The PCS further stated that "international organizations and many independent media have been documenting for several years" the presence of companies linked to foreign mercenaries operating around the Ndassima gold deposit. Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi emphasized his belief that the management of mining and forestry resources requires a profound review to ensure benefits for the population. He reiterated his party's stance that the current approach contributes to "un appauvrissement continu de chaque Centrafricain" (a continuous impoverishment of every Central African).
In response to these concerns, the PCS has demanded "a profound change of paradigm in the management of public mining and forestry resources." The party also called for "total transparency on the country's mining and forestry revenues for the exclusive benefit of the Central African people." Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi has previously criticized what he termed "une gestion scabreuse du pouvoir" (shameful management of power), attributing it to "la consommation et sur l’enrichissement illicite du gouvernement lui-même" (consumption and the illicit enrichment of the government itself).
The opposition leader asserted that "aucun Objectif de Développement durable ne sera atteint à l’horizon 2030" (no Sustainable Development Goal will be reached by 2030) under current conditions. He also noted that "plus de 87 % du budget national sert à couvrir les charges salariales des agents de l’État" (more than 87% of the national budget covers the salaries of state agents). The PCS has also condemned what it described as "le musellement systématique de l’opposition" (the systematic muzzling of the opposition) and "le refus obstiné de tout dialogue politique réellement inclusif" (the obstinate refusal of any truly inclusive political dialogue).
Political Repression and Demands
Chancel Sekode-Ndeugbayi, President of the Parti du Changement Social (PCS), asserted that the Touadéra regime engages in "systematic muzzling of the opposition" (musellement systématique de l’opposition). Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi also accused the government of an "obstinate refusal of any truly inclusive political dialogue" (refus obstiné de tout dialogue politique réellement inclusif). The PCS leader noted that "more than 87% of the national budget serves to cover the salary costs of state agents" (plus de 87 % du budget national sert à couvrir les charges salariales des agents de l’État).
According to the PCS, these state agents constitute less than 1% of the total population, drawing a sharp contrast with the broader economic conditions. Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi declared that "no international donor should allow itself to finance a power that refuses criticism, intimidates its opponents, and stifles democratic debate" (aucun bailleur de fonds international ne devrait s’autoriser à financer un pouvoir qui refuse la critique, intimide ses opposants et étouffe le débat démocratique). He has previously characterized the government's performance as "shameful management of power" (une gestion scabreuse du pouvoir), contributing to "continuous impoverishment of every Central African" (un appauvrissement continu de chaque Centrafricain).
The PCS has specifically called for "the opening of a real inclusive national political dialogue" to address the country's challenges. The opposition party also demands "full and complete respect for the decisions of the Constitutional Council," showing concerns about the rule of law. Mr. Sekode-Ndeugbayi has warned that under current conditions, "no Sustainable Development Goal will be reached by 2030" (aucun Objectif de Développement durable ne sera atteint à l’horizon 2030), attributing the situation to "consumption and the illicit enrichment of the government itself" (la consommation et sur l’enrichissement illicite du gouvernement lui-même) and "a near-total opacity regarding the Central African state itself" (une quasi-totale opacité vis-à-vis de l’État centrafricain lui-même) in resource management.
The Parti du Changement Social affirmed its commitment to pursuing its objectives "by peaceful and democratic means only." The party stated its ultimate aim is "the liberation of the Central African people from the yoke of authoritarianism and misery."
