Posted on November, 28 2025
“This is an exceptional site by global standards, and we must protect it and showcase it.” With these words at Dzanga Bai, President Touadéra set the tone for a historic moment: the first-ever Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas Day, a three-day celebration that placed one of the Central African Republic’s most treasured landscapes firmly on the national agenda.
From November 18 to 20, Touadéra led events in Bangui and Bayanga, joined by ministers, parliamentarians, development partners, traditional authorities, and civil society. The initiative, organized by the government in partnership with WWF and the Helmholtz Institute for One Health, spotlighted Dzanga-Sangha as part of the Sangha Trinational World Heritage Site and a living example of the One Health approach, where the health of people, wildlife, and forests is addressed together.
At Dzanga Bai, where dozens of forest elephants roam, the President underscored the site’s global significance:
“We will take all necessary measures to develop this site and to protect the elephants that live here, in close collaboration with local communities. We must show the world that there is a unique natural heritage here in the Central African Republic.”
Beyond symbolism, the visit delivered tangible commitments. Touadéra inaugurated new social and community facilities, including a center dedicated to Indigenous Peoples, which is a hub for dialogue, cultural promotion, training, and economic empowerment. The move signals a government pledge to recognize Indigenous knowledge and place communities at the heart of landscape management.
CAR Minister of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Ngola Marie Françoise Ramadan-Mamata, said: “The Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas are not only a sanctuary for elephants, gorillas, mangabeys, bongos and ancient forests. They are also the cultural heart of our country and a gateway for visitors who want to discover who we are. By developing responsible tourism here, we are creating jobs and strengthening national pride.”
For conservation partners, Dzanga-Sangha is emerging as a model landscape for One Health, supported through disease surveillance, research, and integrated community services. “Dzanga-Sangha is a national pride and a global treasure, where conservation, community well-being and science come together,” said Laurent Somé, WWF Regional Director for the Congo Basin.
By dedicating three days to this celebration, Touadéra sent a clear message: protecting Dzanga-Sangha is central to CAR’s future, for its people, its climate resilience, and its image on the international stage.
