'Have had enough': fuel protest in C.Africa

Hundreds of people demonstrated in the capital of the Central African Republic on Friday against fuel price hikes and demanded the release of organisers of a previous day of protest.

The country is one of the poorest in the world and has seen higher prices at the pump since the start of last month.

Demonstrators in Bangui carried placards with slogans reading "A hungry belly has no ears" and "We are all equal in the face of the high cost of living," AFP journalists saw.

The price increase, which was introduced by the government, has led to higher transport and food costs on top of shortages already caused by security and logistics problems.

"Transportation is costing me almost more than my house," Stephane, a 31-year-old demonstrator, who declined to give his full name, told AFP.

"Today this is only a warning to the government, but let it be clear that the people have had enough. Next time, there will be more of us out on the streets," he warned.

The rally gathered motorcycle taxi drivers, vendors, residents, civil society and members of the Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution (BRDC), an opposition coalition, which called the demonstration.

The BRDC had also called a shutdown of Bangui on October 12, which led to the arrests of five organisers from civil society groups who are still in detention.

"Resistant Central Africans", chanted demonstrators on Friday, who also sang: "Gas is expensive, everything is expensive, free our leaders."

Drivers pushed their motorcycle taxis to illustrate the difficulties they are facing with fuel prices and shortages.

The march was permitted to go ahead after the government initially called it "illegal".

Armoured vehicles from the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic as well as police escorted the rally.

"The rising prices of basic necessities are starting to suffocate us. Where will this situation lead us?" said 38-year-old trader Joachim Lessoua.

BRDC spokesman Martin Ziguele said fuel prices had increased three times in a year but the monthly minimum wage of 35,000 CFA francs ($59, around 53 euros) had stayed the same for more than 30 years.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera has said that high prices on oil markets mean the government can no longer subsidise oil.