He previously served as the Prime Minister of Central African Republic from 2 April 2016 and 27 February 2019.

[3] Sarandji also acted as Touadera's campaign director during the December 2015–February 2016 presidential election.

[5] He named his first cabinet on 12 April, consisting of 23 members including Jean-Serge Bokassa, Charles Armel Doubane and Joseph Yakete, each of whom had run against Touadera for President.

Sarandji elected not to include any members from the Christian and Muslim militias behind the violence in the 2013 coup.

[7] He subsequently praised the Rwandan peacekeepers for introducing a form of community work in Rwanda called Umuganda into the Central Africa Republic.