Central African Republic's long-awaited elections pushed back yet again
The Central African Republic has not held local elections since 1988, with all local administrators appointed by the central government in the decades since.
The Central African Republic (CAR) has once again postponed its long-delayed local elections, which were initially scheduled for the end of August 2025.
Reports indicate that Prime Minister Félix Moloua announced the development, noting that the vote will now be conducted in December, alongside the country's legislative and presidential elections.
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While addressing a meeting of the Strategic Committee for Electoral Support in Bangui on Friday, Moloua explained that the move was intended to align the country's electoral timetable and optimise available resources for organising the polls.
CAR has not held local elections since 1988; all local administrators have been appointed by the central government in the decades since.
The latest postponement adds to the challenges faced in CAR's efforts to re-establish local democratic governance. Despite the postponement, officials maintain that preparations are still progressing.
On Friday, the country's national electoral body, Autorité Nationale des Elections (ANE), reported that over 2.39 million voters have already registered, a notable increase from the figures recorded ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
The announcement came just a day after a breakthrough in CAR's peace process. On Thursday, two influential rebel leaders, Ali Darass of the Union for Peace in the CAR (UPC) and Sembe Bobo of the Return, Reclamation and Rehabilitation (3R) group, formally announced the dissolution of their armed groups.
The pair were among five rebel factions that formed the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) in 2020 under the leadership of former President François Bozizé, who is currently in exile.
During a ceremony held in Bangui and presided over by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, the two commanders pledged to support the government's reconciliation efforts.
Their decision followed the signing of peace agreements in April between the CAR government and rebel groups during talks mediated by Chad.
Touadéra, who has been in power since 2016, hailed the move as a hopeful step for the country.
"I urge all leaders and militants of armed groups to firmly adhere to the peace process in view of participating in the development of our dear fatherland," he said at the time.
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