Dominique Désiré Erenon, a leading opposition figure in the Central African Republic, has been arrested upon returning from three years in exile in France. Erenon, leader of the March for Democracy and the People’s Salvation (MDSP) party, had openly criticized President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s 2016 constitutional reforms, which expanded presidential powers and drew concerns about democratic backsliding. His arrest at the country’s main airport followed Touadéra’s call for Central Africans in the diaspora to return home. Authorities have yet to disclose formal charges, sparking criticism from civil society groups and fears of political intimidation ahead of the December elections. Erenon, a former constitutional expert, had fled in 2022, citing an attempted abduction. His arrest has intensified concerns about tightening state control and shrinking space for political opposition in the country.
BBC
