The 62-year-old banker and development worker replaces Barrister Nicolas Tiangaye.
The Central African Republic, CAR’s, new leader, Catherine Samba-Panza, on Saturday, January 25, 2014, announced the appointment of André Nzapayéké as the new Prime Minister, Radio France Internationale, RFI, reported yesterday. The move is sequel to her inauguration on Thursday, January 23, 2014, as the next Transitional President after her election earlier in the week.
Aged 62, Nzapayéké is a former staff of the African Development Bank, AfDB and was until his appointment, the Vice Chairman of the Development Bank of Central African States, BDEAC. He replaces Barrister Nicolas Tiangaye who was obliged by sub-regional leaders to resign on January 10, 2014 alongside President Michel Djotodia, for alleged non-performance in the moving the transition time table forward.
Born in Bangassou in the south-east of the country on August 20, 1951, the new PM studied in The Netherlands before returning home to carry out development work for several years. This enabled him to travel the length and breadth of the country. He also set up a consultancy, was Minister for Rural Development and taught at university. He reportedly worked on the question of army mutineers in the 1990s by serving on the government’s Security Council.
André Nzapayéké also carried out work with the World Bank, United Nations and Luxembourg Cooperation. During his time with AfDB, he worked on the implementation of peace deals between warring parties in the then Sudan as well as being AfDB Regional Director for Central Africa.
Reacting to his appointment, the new PM told RFI that his thoughts were with victims of the conflict that has so many orphans, widows, widowers and parents who have lost children as well as people who have lost relatives in the war. He said time had come for CAR people of different political leanings to sit down and try to get the country out of the current crisis.
He promised to start consulting with men of the defunct national army, FACA, armed groups and all others still skeptical about talking peace. After which his next priority will be the return of Internally-displaced People, IDPs, to their homes, promising to begin work on this issue this week.
