BANGUI — Faustin-Archange Touadéra was sworn in as president of the Central African Republic for a third term in Bangui on March 30, 2026. His third presidential term will last seven years.

The swearing-in ceremony in Bangui was attended by the presidents of Congo-Brazzaville and Comoros. The Constitutional Council said that Touadéra won 77.9% of the vote in the December election.

"We aspire to build a sovereign economy and ensure transparent management of our natural resources," said Faustin-Archange Touadéra. The coalition opposition party boycotted the December general election, and opposition parties and civil society rejected the results of the December election.

A constitutional referendum in 2023 removed presidential term limits and extended the presidential term from five to seven years. This change enabled Touadéra to seek and win a third term in office.

The Central African Republic has experienced instability since 2013, when mostly Muslim rebels seized power and forced President François Bozizé to resign. A 2019 peace deal between the government and 14 armed groups de-escalated the conflict, though six of the 14 armed groups later withdrew from the agreement.

The Russian mercenary group Wagner first deployed to Africa in the Central African Republic and has maintained a presence in the country.