Editing Central African Republic (section)

==== Touadéra government (2016–present) ====
[[File:War_in_Central_African_Republic.svg|thumb|Current military situation in Central African Republic]]
[[2015–16 Central African general election|Presidential elections]] were held in December 2015. As no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a second round of elections was held on 14 February 2016 with run-offs on 31 March 2016.<ref>[http://rjdh.org/centrafrique-le-corps-electoral-convoque-le-14-fevrier-pour-le-1er-tour-des-legislatives-et-le-second-tour-de-la-presidentielle/ Centrafrique : Le corps électoral convoqué le 14 février pour le 1er tour des législatives et le second tour de la présidentielle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104145113/http://rjdh.org/centrafrique-le-corps-electoral-convoque-le-14-fevrier-pour-le-1er-tour-des-legislatives-et-le-second-tour-de-la-presidentielle/|date=4 January 2017}} (in French), RJDH, 28 January 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.enca.com/africa/new-central-african-president-takes-country-ruins New Central African president takes on a country in ruins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104144133/https://www.enca.com/africa/new-central-african-president-takes-country-ruins |date=4 January 2017 }} ENCA, 28 March 2016</ref> In the second round of voting, former Prime Minister [[Faustin-Archange Touadéra]] was declared the winner with 63% of the vote, defeating [[Union for Central African Renewal]] candidate [[Anicet-Georges Dologuélé]], another former Prime Minister.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35623491 CAR presidential election: Faustin Touadera declared winner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128162104/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35623491 |date=28 January 2021 }} BBC News, 20 February 2016</ref> While the elections suffered from many potential voters being absent as they had taken refuge in other countries, the fears of widespread violence were ultimately unfounded, and the [[African Union]] regarded the elections as successful.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/central-african-republic/freedom-world/2020|title=Central African Republic: Freedom in the World 2020 Country Report|website=Freedom House|access-date=30 December 2020|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129175737/https://freedomhouse.org/country/central-african-republic/freedom-world/2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

Touadéra was sworn in on 30 March 2016. No representatives of the Seleka rebel group or the "anti-balaka" militias were included in the subsequently formed government.<ref>Vincent Duhem, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/317433/politique/centrafrique-quil-faut-retenir-nouveau-gouvernement-devoile-touadera/ "Centrafrique : ce qu’il faut retenir du nouveau gouvernement dévoilé par Touadéra"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201092527/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/317433/politique/centrafrique-quil-faut-retenir-nouveau-gouvernement-devoile-touadera/ |date=1 December 2020 }}, ''Jeune Afrique'', 13 April 2016 {{In lang|fr}}.</ref>

After the end of Touadéra's first term, [[2020–21 Central African general election|presidential elections]] were held on 27 December 2020 with a possible second round planned for 14 February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 August 2019|title=Code électoral de la République Centrafricaine (Titre 2, Chapitre 1, Art. 131)|url=http://www.droit-afrique.com/uploads/RCA-Code-2019-electoral.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.droit-afrique.com/uploads/RCA-Code-2019-electoral.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|access-date=30 December 2020|website=Droit-Afrique.com|language=fr}}</ref> Former president [[François Bozizé]] announced his candidacy on 25 July 2020 but was rejected by the Constitutional Court of the country, which held that Bozizé did not satisfy the "good morality" requirement for candidates because of an international warrant and [[United Nations]] sanctions against him for alleged assassinations, torture and other crimes.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 December 2020|title=RCA : présidentielle du 27 décembre, la Cour Constitutionnelle publie la liste définitive des candidats|url=https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/rca-presidentielle-du-27-decembre-la-cour-constitutionnelle-publie-la-liste-definitive-des-candidats/|access-date=30 December 2020|archive-date=9 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109184142/https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/rca-presidentielle-du-27-decembre-la-cour-constitutionnelle-publie-la-liste-definitive-des-candidats/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As large parts of the country were at the time controlled by armed groups, the election could not be conducted in many areas of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 December 2020|title=Centrafrique : " ces élections, c'est une escroquerie politique ", dixit le candidat à la présidentielle Martin Ziguélé|url=https://letsunami.net/centrafrique-ces-elections-cest-une-escroquerie-politique-dixit-le-candidat-a-la-presidentielle-martin-ziguele/|access-date=30 December 2020|archive-date=29 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229130521/https://letsunami.net/centrafrique-ces-elections-cest-une-escroquerie-politique-dixit-le-candidat-a-la-presidentielle-martin-ziguele/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=29 December 2020|title=Élections en Centrafrique: la légitimité du scrutin, perturbé en province, divise à Bangui|url=https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/elections-en-centrafrique-la-legitimite-du-scrutin-perturbe-en-province-divise-a-bangui/|access-date=30 December 2020|archive-date=29 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229050648/https://corbeaunews-centrafrique.com/elections-en-centrafrique-la-legitimite-du-scrutin-perturbe-en-province-divise-a-bangui/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some 800 of the country's polling stations, or 14% of the total, were closed due to violence.<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 December 2020|title=CAR violence forced closure of 800 polling stations: Commission|language=en|work=aljazeera.com|publisher=Al Jazeera English|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/28/violence-forces-800-polling-stations-to-close-in-car-commission|access-date=29 December 2020|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120045703/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/28/violence-forces-800-polling-stations-to-close-in-car-commission|url-status=live}}</ref> Three [[Burundi]]an peacekeepers were killed and an additional two were wounded during the run-up to the election.<ref>{{Cite news|date=26 December 2020|title=Three UN peacekeepers killed in CAR ahead of Sunday's elections|language=en|work=www.aljazeera.com|publisher=Al Jazeera|agency=Al Jazeera|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/26/three-peacekeepers-killed-in-car-as-rebel-group-calls-off-truce|access-date=26 December 2020|archive-date=27 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227144436/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/26/three-peacekeepers-killed-in-car-as-rebel-group-calls-off-truce|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="UNNews_261220">{{Cite news|date=26 December 2020|title=UN chief condemns attacks against peacekeepers in the Central African Republic|language=en|work=UN News|agency=United Nations News Service|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080892|access-date=26 December 2020|ref=UNNews_261220|archive-date=27 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227144916/https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080892|url-status=live}}</ref> President Faustin-Archange Touadéra was reelected in the first round of the election in December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.africanews.com/2021/01/04/car-president-touadera-reelected-electoral-commission/|title = Central African Republic President Touadéra wins re-election|date = 4 January 2021|access-date = 27 April 2021|archive-date = 9 January 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210109000339/https://www.africanews.com/2021/01/04/car-president-touadera-reelected-electoral-commission//|url-status = live}}</ref> Russian mercenaries from the [[Wagner Group]] have supported President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in the fight against rebels. Russia's Wagner group has been accused of harassing and intimidating civilians.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Wagner Group: Why the EU is alarmed by Russian mercenaries in Central Africa |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59699350 |work=BBC News |date=19 December 2021 |access-date=21 April 2022 |archive-date=27 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327074036/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-59699350 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Roger |last2=Lima |first2=Mauricio |title=Putin Wants Fealty, and He's Found It in Africa |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/24/world/africa/central-african-republic-russia-wagner.html |access-date=4 January 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=3 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103183631/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/24/world/africa/central-african-republic-russia-wagner.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2022, [[Roger Cohen]] wrote in ''[[The New York Times]]'', "[[Wagner Group|Wagner]] shock troops form a Praetorian Guard for Mr. Touadéra, who is also protected by Rwandan forces, in return for an untaxed license to exploit and export the Central African Republic's resources" and "one Western ambassador called the Central African Republic...a 'vassal state' of the Kremlin."<ref>Roger Cohen.  Africa's Allegiance to Putin.  New York Times, International Edition; 31 Dec 2022 / 1 Jan 2023, page A1+.</ref>