Roads, energy, water and sanitation, agriculture and air transport: the African Development Bank aims to accelerate its investments in the Central African Republic (CAR). To that end, the Bank's Executive Director for the Central African Republic, Régis Lakoué Derant, and the Bank's Director General for Central Africa, Léandre Bassolé, led a nine-day dialogue mission to Bangui from 11 to 19 September 2026.
The mission also included the Bank's Country Manager for CAR, Mamadou Coulibaly, and several experts from the institution. It forms part of the ongoing high-level operational dialogue between the Bank and the country's authorities, and it comes as the Bank's new 2026-2031 Country Strategy for CAR seeks to accelerate the country's economic transformation.
"The Bank attaches great importance to its excellent relations with the Central African Republic government. It is determined to strengthen cooperation to contribute to the social and economic development and prosperity of the Central African Republic," said Executive Director Lakoué Derant.
Stronger monitoring to speed up implementation
The delegation held high-level consultations with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra; Prime Minister Félix Moloua; and several members of the government. These included Marc Mandaba, Minister of the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation and Bank's Governor for CAR, and Hervé Ndoba, Minister of Finance and the Budget.
The discussions reviewed progress across the project portfolio and identified measures needed to accelerate implementation. In particular, the parties agreed to strengthen the preparation of operations and reduce start-up times. They also agreed to build the capacity of implementing bodies, notably sectoral ministries and project management units, in procurement, disbursement and accountability.
"We must work together to remove the constraints hindering project progress and create the conditions to speed up disbursements and the delivery of investments," said Lakoué Derant.
The delegation also held talks with the Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works, Arthur Bertrand Piri; Herbert Gontran Djono Ahabam, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation; Emmanuel Mbetid Bessanel, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Opportune Edwige Pouninguinza-Nguelebe, Minister of Energy and Water Resources; and Annie Michelle Mouanga, Minister of Labour, Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training.
"In accordance with the Prime Minister's instructions, new impetus will be given to the implementation of Bank-funded projects in the CAR. Sectoral meetings and regular discussions will help to accelerate priority projects, notably Corridor 13, the airport project and agricultural initiatives," said Léandre Bassolé.
Corridor 13 and Bangui Airport: two flagship projects for regional integration
The mission paid particular attention to the Pointe-Noire-Brazzaville-Bangui-N'Djamena Multimodal Transport Corridor Development Project (CD13) and the Project to Support the Modernisation and Extension of Bangui-M'Poko International Airport (PAMAB).
Funded to the tune of $282 million by the African Development Bank Group, the CD13 project will enable the Central African Republic to diversify its access to regional markets through a second link to the port of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo. "This project is of strategic importance for CAR and its regional integration," the Executive Director said.
The site visit showed that work was 98% complete as at 31 August 2026 on two components- the 69-km Bossarangba-Mbaïki section and the 4.5 km of urban roads in Mbaïki, up from the 3 km originally planned, equipped with solar-powered street lighting.
However, the mission noted delays in clearing the right-of-away, linked to compensation for the affected communities. The Executive Director called for better planning of these procedures to avoid slowing the works.
"We are continuing our efforts with the Bank, businesses and all relevant stakeholders to remove the various obstacles that are holding back certain projects," said Arthur Bertrand Piri, Minister of State for Infrastructure and Public Works.
CD13 will also provide CAR with a state-of-the-art cardiology centre in Damara, approximately 25 km from Bangui. The mission assessed progress of the works, which are now nearly 50% complete. Once operational, the facility will strengthen specialist care and improve access to cardiology services nationwide.
The Bank's delegation, accompanied by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Herbert Gontran Djono Ahabam, also visited Bangui-M'Poko International Airport. There, modernisation of the terminal and associated infrastructure, including the car park and power station, is more than 90% complete. Carried out under the Bangui M'Poko International Airport Modernisation Support Project (PAMAB), this work aims to bring the airport up to the standards required for certification by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and to strengthen the country's air connectivity. The project is funded by a $13.67 million grant from the African Development Fund and the Transition Support Facility.
The mission concluded with a joint commitment by the Bank and the Central African Republic authorities to accelerate the implementation of priority investments, strengthen monitoring and coordination among stakeholders, and resolve bottlenecks swiftly.
