Touadera of the Central African Republic declares his bid for a third term

Faustin-Archange Touadera, the president of the Central African Republic, announced on Saturday that he will seek a third term later this year, hoping to continue in office for a second decade after doing away with term limits in 2023.

“As many of you have requested me, I can say that I am available. “I am your nominee for the December 2025 presidential election,” the 68-year-old declared during a United Hearts Movement party conference in Bangui, the country’s capital.

“We will continue the work of rebuilding our country.”

Since assuming power in 2016, Touadera has relied on foreign assistance to maintain control in the face of an ongoing civil war, including mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner militia, who joined the government in 2018.

Rich in resources like gold, diamonds, and lumber, the landlocked Central African Republic, which is about the size of France and has a population of about 5.5 million, is extremely poor.

From 1960, when it gained independence from France, it has seen waves of instability, including uprisings and coups.

Despite efforts by militants such as the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) to overturn the outcome, Touadera was elected to a second term in 2020.

For several years, the army has been combating the organization with the support of Russian and Rwandan troops as well as United Nations peacekeepers.

Originally slated to be Touadera’s final term, the country had a constitutional referendum in 2023 that increased the presidential term from five to seven years and eliminated the two-term limit.

More than 95% of voters supported the new constitution, which opposition parties and civil society organizations say might give Touadera life in office.

The precise date of the vote in December has not yet been disclosed.