The Central African Republic will hold presidential, legislative, and local elections in December, Prime Minister Félix Moloua announced Friday. The plan consolidates originally separate polls into a single electoral event to optimise resources and logistics.
This follows a postponement and consolidation of the schedule. Local elections were originally set for August but will now coincide with national polls in December. Voter registration has surged, with over 2.39 million voters enrolled. This marks a significant increase from the 2020 elections, when President Faustin-Archange Touadéra secured re-election amid rebel unrest.
Two major armed factions, the Union for Peace in CAR and Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, formally dissolved this week and pledged allegiance to the national peace process. The UPC and 3R had been part of the Coalition of Patriots for Change, a rebel alliance formed in 2020 by exiled former President François Bozizé after he was barred from running in the last election. Peace deals signed in April 2024 and mediated by Chad laid the groundwork for rebel reintegration.
President Touadéra hailed the disarmament as a sign of the best of hope but urged remaining militants to join the peace process. Despite this progress, security concerns persist. The country remains volatile, with Rwandan UN peacekeepers under MINUSCA still guarding key officials and infrastructure. Analysts warn that delayed elections and unresolved rebel factions could reignite tensions.
