According to Le Canard enchaîné, Foucher, 65, brought around 30 women aged between 20 and 30 to his private apartments at the ambassadorial residence between January 2024 and March 2026, with some reportedly staying overnight.
The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that an administrative investigation had been conducted in Bangui and that the findings led to formal disciplinary proceedings against the ambassador.
The repeated stream of visitors reportedly alarmed the security personnel assigned to protect Foucher, prompting concerns that the ambassador had exposed the diplomatic compound to serious security risks.
According to reports based on the inspection findings, Foucher acknowledged having sexual relations with two of the local women.
He was also reportedly accused of instructing household staff to allow one woman to remain inside the official residence while he was away on official missions.
The affair has turned a private scandal into a diplomatic embarrassment for Paris, with the conduct of its senior representative raising questions over the standards and security practices of the French diplomatic mission.
The scandal is particularly damaging as France is attempting to restore its influence in the Central African Republic after years of deteriorating relations.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot visited Bangui earlier this year in an effort to revive bilateral relations, marking a renewed French diplomatic push in a country where Paris has lost considerable influence.
France’s declining position in the country has coincided with Russia’s growing political and security influence, further exposing the limits of Paris’ efforts to regain its former foothold in its former African sphere of influence.
The disciplinary case against Foucher now adds a deeply embarrassing sexual scandal to the broader crisis facing France’s diplomatic presence in Bangui.
Potential disciplinary measures reportedly range from a formal reprimand and compulsory retirement to dismissal from the French civil service.