Bangui, 20 July 2020 – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) have signed a new, five-year development agreement. The agreement provides approximately 22 million USD (12,588,314,200.00 CFA) in funding for programs that will encourage stabilization in CAR, including programs to expand licit economic opportunity and counter the drivers of conflict. Additionally, the agreement aims to transition CAR from a recipient primarily of humanitarian relief to a recipient of primarily more sustainable development interventions.
U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic, Lucy Tamlyn attended the signing of the agreement at the Ministry of Planning on July 17, 2020. The Minister of Planning, Felix Moloua, signed the agreement, which will now be sent to USAID’s offices in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, to be signed by USAID’s Mission Director, Paul Sabatine. In light of travel restrictions due to COVID-19, the two parties agreed to sign the agreement separately. During the signing ceremony, Ambassador Tamlyn said, “This agreement represents the United States’ commitment to building durable, long-term peace and prosperity in CAR.”
This new development agreement covers fiscal years 2020-2024. As part of the agreement, the CAR government is required to establish a steering committee to monitor the progress of the development activities funded through this agreement, and USAID will oversee execution of the agreement from its offices in Kinshasa. This development project joins other USAID activities in CAR, including life-saving humanitarian assistance and programs to train and support local media.
