After the deadly explosion in the Central African Republic, the fall of Enerca shakes Touadéra

On June 25, a Central African Energy (Enerca) transformer exploded on the grounds of Barthélémy Boganda High School, during the baccalaureate exam. The provisional toll: at least 29 students killed and 260 injured. The following day, police arrested Enerca executives, including the CEO, amid growing distrust of the Touadéra regime, caught between national mourning and increased political pressure.

A high school in mourning, a state called into question

On Wednesday, June 25, at around 1 p.m. in Bangui, Boganda High School, the main baccalaureate exam center, was hit by a transformer explosion. Live after a maintenance intervention, the device failed in the main hall, triggering a deadly panic.

Result: 29 students were killed, 260 injured . The Central African Republic plunged into mourning, extended for three days by the presidency.

The Ministry of Health stated that it was Enerca's restoration of power during the test that precipitated the tragedy. Witnesses described chaotic management and inadequate bandages for an electrical leak, despite the presence of more than 5,000 candidates.

Enerca behind bars, justice is taking its toll

On Thursday, three senior Enerca officials—CEO Thierry-Patient Bendima, the technical director, and the operations manager—were summoned and taken into custody by the Central Office for the Suppression of Banditry (OCRB). They are accused of "professional negligence" in the conduct and execution of maintenance operations.

Guilty? Beyond individuals, the flaws exposed are systemic: Enerca – a public company founded in 1963 – has struggled for years to keep its production facilities (hydroelectric and thermal power plants) in good condition. Deficient circuits, minimal maintenance, chaotic tariff collection: the country's electricity infrastructure is an open-air Swiss cheese, and users are at their wit's end .

Touadéra between emergency and election

President Faustin-Archange Touadéra , traveling to Brussels for a Vaccine Alliance summit at the time of the tragedy, finds himself faced with a dilemma: deciding how to manage Enerca to appease public opinion, while avoiding weakening his own political apparatus a few months before the presidential election.

The government is displaying its firmness, with the immediate suspension of senior executives, the opening of a judicial investigation, and the securing of public exam sites. But behind these decisions, distrust is brewing. High school students on a commemorative march are being prevented from participating, and civil society leaders are being arrested . An iron fist that betrays the anxiety of a president worried about losing control in a country where public services are already considered to be a waste of time.

Will this electric drama have the power to spark the national resilience the Central African Republic needs, or will it end up as a mere political flashpoint? Between the technical challenge, an election on the horizon, and public distrust, Touadéra seems to be playing his credibility on a thin line. If he fails to thoroughly reform Enerca, the very foundations of the Central African state will be shaken.