The Constitutional Court of the Central African Republic (CAR) confirmed the re-election of Faustin Archange Touadéra on 19 January.
The court affirmed the incumbent president had received 77.90% of the vote, a marginal increase on his vote share of 76.15% from the provisional results released by the National Elections Authority on 5 January. Two opposition parties had filed complaints with the Constitutional Court over irregularities surrounding the election period that were ruled inadmissible, and could not be considered by the court.
Ahead of the elections, the main opposition party, the Republican Block for the Defence of the Constitution (BRDC), boycotted the vote over concerns regarding the electoral process. The electoral commission delayed the approval of two prominent opposition politicians, Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Henri-Marie Dondra, during the campaigning period. Presidential candidates reported restrictions on their freedom of movement and ability to effectively campaign in all parts of the country, which they argue gave the incumbent president an advantage.
Opposition parties also boycotted the elections over the controversial 2022 Constitutional Referendum that removed presidential term limits, allowing President Touadéra to run for another term. The referendum was initially rejected by the Constitutional Court, but after pressure from the Presidential Office and the firing of the court’s president, the amendment was approved in August 2023. The court’s announcement confirms President Touadéra will commence his third term for a period of seven years.
The last presidential elections were marred by armed conflict and violence as peace agreements that the government signed with armed groups failed. However, in the lead up to the 2025 elections, the government had made efforts to renew peace agreements with armed groups, including the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC).
While the elections were largely peaceful, the security situation in Zemio, in the Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, is critical. Tensions in the town persisted throughout 2025, with targeted attacks by the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe (AAKG), also known as the Azande militia, on members of the Fulani community causing displacement and the deaths of civilians and UN Peacekeepers.
Tensions appear to have been sparked by the peace agreement signed by the government of CAR and the UPC in April 2025. The Azande Militia originally formed in 2023 to push back against the attacks on civilians by the UPC, who were members of the Seleka Coalition that took power in a coup in March 2013 and brought the country to a crisis. The resulting conflict saw religion become a flashpoint of conflict for the first time in CAR’s history. The UPC fighters are predominantly from the Fulani ethnic group. In April 2025 the Azande militia called for a ban on all Muslims and non-Azande residing in or visiting Zemio or participating in elections.
On 28 December, as the country went to the polls, the Azande Militia launched a series of targeted attacks on security stations, police stations, soldiers and police in Bambouti, also in Haut-Mbomou Prefecture. After the initial attacks, the violence moved to Zemio, where at least 2,000 people were displaced as the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) and Russian fighters from the Wagner Group fought the AAKG. The situation remains volatile, with a significant number of displaced persons seeking shelter in Zemio’s Catholic Church, and others fleeing to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW extends deep condolences to the families and communities that have been impacted by violence in CAR during the election period, particularly in Haut-Mbomou Prefecture. As he embarks on his third term, we call on President Touadéra to ensure that he governs for the benefit of all Central Africans, and that his government respects the internationally recognised democratic principles and rights that CAR is bound to. We also call on the government to work with partners to meet the urgent humanitarian crisis created by the renewed fighting in Zemio, and for action to be taken to bring those responsible for targeting civilians in Haute-Mbomou Prefecture over the election period to justice.’