The Central African government has officially informed France of its decision to put an end to the deanship granted to the French ambassador in Bangui.
Bangui has decided “to put an end to the totally symbolic privilege enjoyed by the French ambassador, to be the dean of the diplomatic corps” in the Central African Republic, wrote the Central African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sylvie BaïpoTémon, to her French counterpart, Catherine Colonna , in a correspondence that leaked Tuesday on social networks.
This status “has been reserved for French ambassadors since the country’s independence on August 13, 1960”, by virtue of a cooperation agreement signed between the two countries and designating “de facto the high representative of France accredited to the head of the Central African State with the rank and prerogatives of ambassador, dean of the diplomatic corps” in the Central African Republic.
In return, the High Representative of the Central African Republic to the French Head of State was reserved “a privileged place among the diplomatic envoys accredited to Paris”.
For Bangui, not only “the reciprocity that applies in international relations has not been applied”, but also “the privileges to be granted to the Central African counterpart have not been observed for several decades”.
In addition, the Central African authorities deplore “the discourteous behavior of the High Representative of the French Republic accredited to the Central African Head of State”.
Relations between Bangui and Paris have not been good for a few years, even if the correspondence of the head of Central African diplomacy specifies that “it is not an escalation in relations with France, but it is the personality even of the ambassador who is in question”.
France has particularly risen against its former colony since President Faustin-Archange Touadéra called on Wagner’s Russian paramilitaries for its protection and to fight against rebel groups.
By OMA Newsletter N° 931 of 09/11/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
