Why did civil servants riot in the Central African Republic in 1991?

In 1991, riots broke out in the Central African Republic primarily because civil servants had not been paid their salaries for more than eight months.1

This unrest was fueled by a broader climate of dissatisfaction with the authoritarian rule and lavish lifestyle of President André Kolingba, as well as the influence of growing democratic movements across Africa. The government's inability to pay public sector employees was a direct result of severe financial mismanagement and corruption, which left the state treasury unable to meet its obligations. These economic struggles were exacerbated by a decline in international prices for cash crops and the general deterioration of the country's financial standing.12