CONFLICT WATCHLIVE

Central African Republic

Background reviewed 2026-10-23 · Background as of 2026-10

Background

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been in crisis since 2013, when the mainly Muslim Séléka rebel coalition seized the capital Bangui, provoking reprisals by anti-balaka militias. A UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, deployed in 2014.

A peace agreement in 2019 between the government and 14 armed groups reduced but did not end violence. Several groups later formed the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), which attacked towards Bangui in late 2020. Government forces, supported by Rwandan troops and Russian personnel, have since retaken most towns. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra won a third term in the December 2025 election.

History

The Central African Republic became independent from France in 1960 and has experienced repeated coups and mutinies, including the 1966 coup that brought Jean-Bédel Bokassa to power. Decades of weak state presence outside the capital left large areas under the influence of armed groups.

The 2013 crisis, in which the Séléka coalition took power and anti-balaka militias formed in response, led to French and African Union interventions and in 2014 to the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA. A peace agreement signed in 2019 with fourteen armed groups reduced but did not end violence. Since 2018 Russian military instructors and private contractors have supported government forces.

Main parties

  • Central African Armed Forces (FACA) — National army, supported by Rwandan forces and Russian military personnel.
  • Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) — Alliance of armed groups formed in 2020.
  • MINUSCA — UN peacekeeping mission since 2014.

Key dates

  1. 2013-03-24 — Séléka rebels take Bangui.
  2. 2014-09-15 — The UN mission MINUSCA takes over peacekeeping.
  3. 2019-02-06 — A peace agreement is signed with 14 armed groups.
  4. 2020-12 — The CPC launches an offensive around the elections.
  5. 2025-12-28 — General elections are held; President Touadéra is declared the winner of a third term.

Humanitarian situation

A large share of the population needs humanitarian assistance, and hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced inside the country or as refugees in neighbouring states. Insecurity on roads makes aid delivery difficult.

How to read reports about Central African Republic

  • Reporting from rural areas is sparse; many events are known only from UN or NGO statements.

Further reading

Recent events

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