Bangui is 135 years old – the capital of Central Africa has continued to grow in size and population.

Today, June 26, we commemorate the founding of the city of Bangui by French explorer and administrator Michel Dolisie in 1889. It is located in the French colony of Haut-Oubangui. Since 1910, it has been the capital of Oubangui-Chari, a region of French Equatorial Africa. Today, Bangui is 135 years old, growing and has more than 1 million inhabitants. But today’s Central African capital faces a lack of basic social infrastructure.

Bangui was named after these rapids and grew in size due to its proximity to a French military post. Obangui RiverIt was an administrative center during colonial times and remains the administrative center for the region. Central African Republic.

Bangui has long been known as “La coquette”, which has evolved over time. From 2021, the prefecture-level city, which governs four states and 10 districts, will be classified as a provincial level city.

According to municipal authorities, in recent years Bangui’s area has increased from 97 square kilometers to 347 square kilometers. The Central African capital has more than 1.4 million inhabitants, according to data released this year by the Central African Institute of Statistics and Economic and Social Research.

If the country’s large administrative and political centres are experiencing population growth and the expansion of new communities, public infrastructure is not yet able to keep up with the needs of the population. Insufficient public schools, hospitals or health centres, markets, playgrounds and limited access to drinking water in some communities are among the challenges faced by residents of Bangui. Access to water and electricity is also a key issue. Bangui is facing untimely power outages.

Transportation in the city is almost non-existent, although most roads are still in a state of disrepair. No state or private bus company services the streets, let alone the periphery of the capital. Motorbike taxis roam the streets and are the main source of traffic accidents.

Despite these problems, the authorities are working to improve living conditions for Bangui residents. For example, a project to asphalt 75 kilometres of road is currently underway. Boreholes are being built in some communities with support from development partners, but the need remains great.

Bangui celebrates its 135th anniversary today, while also preparing for local elections scheduled for October next year.

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