Paper short abstract:

The paper challenges classifying the CAR state as weak by giving voice to citizens and state agents in secondary towns: They portray trust in state institutions. Building on notions of legitimacy and authority, this paper links these opinions to the state-building efforts pursued from the capital.

Paper long abstract:

The Central African Republic (CAR) is seen as a particularly fragile state, especially beyond its capital, where it is considered nearly non-existing. Although many of the prefectural capitals are supposed to fulfill important regional functions, their means for governance are indeed extremely weak, and state agencies rely on external actors for logistics, security and the provision of services in their towns. This paper aims to challenge the external portrayal of the CAR state as weak by giving voice to citizens' and state agents' opinions and analyses in the three secondary towns Bangassou, Obo and Paoua. The countless appeals for the army to 'return' and control the border, the public discussions with prefects and mayors provoking local public accountability and the intrinsic motivation of some officials despite the absence of means project a contrasting picture of the state and its variegated relations with its citizens. Building on notions of legitimacy and local authority, this paper analytically links these popular opinions to the state-building efforts pursued from the capital. It argues that these local images and expectations should contribute to determining the type of interventions to build the state in the provinces, rather than to dismiss the state as notoriously weak.