CAR president sworn back in after term limits scrapped

President Faustin-Archange Touadéra was sworn in for a new term in the Central African Republic after winning December’s presidential election, the Associated Press reported on 31 March.

Touadéra, who has been in office since 2016, was re-elected with 77.90 percent of the vote, Africanews reported. He took the oath in the capital Bangui after a vote that extended his time in office following a constitutional referendum that removed term limits.

The ceremony took place at a stadium in Bangui in front of around 20,000 spectators and was attended by Burundi’sPresident Evariste Ndayishimiye, who holds the rotating presidency of the African Union, as well as leaders from the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and the Comoros.

In a speech, Touadéra said he aimed to “consolidate peace, security, reconciliation, and national unity”. He added that efforts would continue to bring areas still held by armed groups back under government control.

The election was held amid ongoing security challenges. Armed groups remain active in parts of the country despite military support from allied forces, although the situation has improved in recent years.

Touadéra was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. The December vote followed a campaign marked by security concerns and logistical difficulties, with voting not taking place in all areas due to security conditions.

Opposition figures and some civil society groups raised concerns about how the vote was carried out and the broader political environment.

A referendum held in 2023 approved a new constitution that removed presidential term limits and extended the length of terms, allowing Touadéra to run again. Supporters said the reform would help maintain stability, while critics said it weakened democratic safeguards.

The Central African Republic has also faced repeated conflict since 2013, when violence between armed groups escalated, displacing large numbers of people and leaving parts of the country outside government control. The United Nations says more than 1.4 million people in the country are forcibly displaced, including internally displaced people and refugees abroad.

Associated Press, Africanews, UNHCR, Maghrebi.org