Faustin-Archange Touadéra took office for a third presidential term in the Central African Republic on Monday, in a ceremony held in Bangui about three months after a general election that drew widespread rejection. Touadéra, who was declared the winner in December, is set to serve a new seven-year term.
The election outcome followed a political shift set out in a 2023 constitutional referendum. The referendum removed term limits and increased the presidential term from five to seven years, and the opposition coalition boycotted the general election as a result.
At the swearing-in, Touadéra said, “We aspire to build a sovereign economy and ensure transparent management of our natural resources,” according to the account of the ceremony. Presidents of Congo-Brazzaville and Comoros attended the event in Bangui.
The election results remained contested despite the Constitutional Council’s decision. The council said Touadéra won the vote with 77.9%, but opposition parties and civil society rejected the outcome.
Civil society activist Frédéric Godoba said, “You have to be a fool to believe that.” His remarks reflected the broader rejection of the election results by opponents of Touadéra ahead of his new term.
The Central African Republic has been roiled by conflict for much of the past decade. Since 2013, fighting intensified after mostly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-President François Bozizé to quit, and a 2019 peace deal between the government and 14 armed groups helped de-escalate the situation.
Six of the 14 armed groups later withdrew from that agreement, leaving the country with continued instability as Touadéra begins the next term. The Central African Republic is also among the countries where Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, was first active in Africa.