False, no fuel leak has been reported in Lakouanga, the second arrondissement of Bangui.
According to the Ministry of Mines and Geology, this is completely false information.
What actually occurred was the cleaning of fuel residues from reserve tanks circulating through the canal.
Summary of the verification:
A piece of information that went viral on Facebook on June 27, 2022, and was shared by Koché de Koché, claimed that a fuel leak was circulating in the canal in front of ECOLOG, a MINUSCA logistics base in Lakouanga, the second arrondissement of Bangui. This information is entirely false.
Detailed Verification:
Mr. Didier Sodea, General Director of Petroleum at the Ministry of Mines and Geology, points out: “This is false information because to obtain crude oil, sedimentary layers must be extracted from deep underground. This means that an oil reservoir can be located between 1000 to 4000 meters deep. Crude oil is a fluid primarily composed of hydrocarbons. It is found in sedimentary basins, where it occupies the voids in porous rocks called reservoirs.”
According to Christian Samba, the Deputy Chief of the Lakouanga neighborhood: “As a local authority, I confirm that this is not a fuel leak. It is actually fuel residues flowing after cleaning the reserve tanks. Oil or diesel does not seep out of the ground like that. Speaking of a fuel leak in front of ECOLOG, I do not think so.”
“The information is false. I am right in front of ECOLOG, I saw everything and know exactly what happened; it is not true,” says Christopher Ouda, a resident of Lakouanga.
This misinformation comes amid a fuel shortage in the Central African Republic and should be treated with caution.
By Romaric Théophile Gbomandji, AFC
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