Central African Republic prepares for critical elections amid persisting instability

The Central African Republic is preparing to hold a quadruple election in the coming weeks. Voters will be called to the polls on 28 December to elect their president and lawmakers, as well as local and municipal leaders.

The United Nations’ envoy for Central Africa told the UN Security Council on Thursday that the upcoming vote could mark a turning point for Bangui, as the country is trying to recover from decades of violence and instability.

"This is an opportunity to commend the remarkable recovery of the country, which is laying the foundations for peace consolidation among domestic actors and has undertaken measures to secure its borders, notably with Chad and Cameroon," said Abdou Abarry, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).

The Central African Republic is still grappling with insecurity on the back of the civil war that erupted in 2012. The Security Council established a stabilisation mission (MINUSCA) in 2014 to help restore peace.

Armed groups are still regularly perpetrating attacks across the country. As of August 2025, almost 665,000 Central Africans are refugees abroad and over 440,000 are internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.

Earlier this year, the UN said the upcoming elections “represent a crucial opportunity to strengthen democratic governance, promote reconciliation and consolidate stability.”