Central African Republic President secures third term in office
Touadera, a 68-year-old former mathematics professor, was first elected in 2016 and reelected in 2020 with 53.16% of the vote in the initial round. The 2023 constitutional referendum, which removed presidential term limits and extended the length of office to seven years, enabled him to pursue another term.
His campaign highlighted security improvements, attributing successes to partnerships with Russian security contractors—restructured from the Wagner Group—and Rwandan troops, which helped recapture rebel-held territory and facilitate recent peace agreements. These alliances have expanded Moscow’s influence in the mineral-rich nation, granting access to resources including gold, diamonds, lithium, and uranium.
Election day was largely peaceful, according to international observers, including the African Union and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), despite persistent insecurity in parts of the eastern regions.
However, the main opposition coalition, the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (BRDC), boycotted the vote, citing concerns about fairness. Other challengers, including former prime ministers Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Henri-Marie Dondra, alleged campaign restrictions such as limitations on provincial travel.
The Constitutional Court has until January 20 to validate the results or resolve any legal challenges. While opposition figures have raised claims of fraud, no major post-election unrest has been reported. Touadera’s third term consolidates his authority in one of the world’s poorest countries, but observers warn it underscores risks of democratic erosion and growing foreign influence amid a fragile peace process.
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