A few months ago I hired a driver in Bangui, which is of course a lot more expensive than getting around the city by public taxi, but is also safer, especially after dark. A friend recommended Cédric; he’s a quite tall and very thin man, and I quickly learnt that he doesn’t say much. But he’s reliable and honest, has a wonderful dry sense of humour, and we get on well. We’ve quite often seen something happening in the street, exchanged a silent glance, then burst into laughter at exactly the same moment.
At first I used to quiz Cédric about his opinions on Central African politics, and President Catherine Samba-Panza’s transition government that is mandated to serve only until elections can be held sometime next year.
