Authorities in the Central African Republic have confirmed that five civil society leaders, who organized a city-wide strike in Bangui on October 12, will remain behind bars. The protest was sparked by a sharp rise in fuel costs, which has triggered a cascade of financial hardships for residents, including surging food and transportation prices. Interior Minister Bienvenu Zokoue defended the ongoing detention, characterizing the strike as a calculated attempt to destabilize the nation’s institutions. He further alleged that the organizers maintain deep-rooted connections to opposition political parties, claiming the arrests were a necessary security measure to prevent further civil disruption.

However, the government’s stance has met with significant backlash from the families of the detainees and various advocacy groups who view the arrests as an infringement on human rights. Protesters argue that the strike was simply a non-violent expression of the public's struggle with inflation, with the wife of detainee Quentin Ngouando asserting that voicing the needs of the population should not be treated as a crime. Despite these calls for release, the government remains firm, with President Faustin-Archange Touadera maintaining that the price hikes are an unavoidable consequence of global market conditions required to maintain state functions like salary payments. Tensions continue to simmer, as activist groups have threatened to resume demonstrations if their peers are not set free.