Central African Republic votes, Russia ally Touadera seeks third term

BANGUI Dec 28 - Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera sought a third term in a national election on Sunday, touting security gains in his chronically unstable nation with the help of Russian mercenaries and Rwandan soldiers.

The 68-year-old mathematician oversaw a constitutional referendum in 2023 that scrapped the presidential term limit, drawing an outcry from critics who accused him of seeking to rule for life.

A Touadera victory - the expected outcome - would likely further the interests of Russia, which has traded security assistance for access to resources including gold and diamonds. 

Touadera is also offering access to lithium and uranium reserves to anyone interested.

Counting began in the capital Bangui when some polling stations closed around the scheduled time of 6 p.m. (1700 GMT), though others were expected to close after 7 p.m. because they opened late, a Reuters journalist said. 

Provisional results were expected by January 5. 

There were no reports of major disturbances, a far cry from the first round of voting in 2020, when rebel groups prevented hundreds of polling stations from opening.

Casting his ballot at a secondary school, Touadera called for all Central Africans to vote "to allow our country to regain peace and security." 

Shopkeeper Beatrice Mokonzapa said women had suffered greatly during years of conflict but that the situation had improved. "We have security today. I hope it continues. And for that, President Touadera is best placed to guarantee our security," she said.

SIX OPPONENTS CHALLENGE TOUADERA

The opposition field of six candidates is led by two former prime ministers, Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Henri-Marie Dondra, both of whom survived attempts by Touadera's supporters to have them disqualified for allegedly holding foreign citizenship.

The main opposition party, known by its French acronym BRDC, boycotted the election, saying it would not be fair.

But Dologuele told Reuters on Saturday it was important to give voters a choice. By boycotting, "you offer them Mr Touadera for seven years and therefore you harm your population," he said.

Touadera is seen as the favourite given his control over state institutions and superior financial resources, analysts say.

Teacher Albert Komifea said he wanted a change, without specifying who he had backed. "They did everything they could to prevent the opposition from campaigning effectively, in order to reduce their chances," he said. 

RUSSIA AND RWANDA REINFORCE TOUADERA

In 2018, CAR became the first country in West and Central Africa to bring in Russia's Wagner mercenaries, a step since also taken by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Two years later, Rwanda deployed troops to shore up Touadera's government as rebel groups threatened the capital and tried to disrupt the 2020 elections.

The country is more secure now after Touadera signed several peace deals with rebel groups this year.

But those gains remain fragile: rebels have not fully disarmed, reintegration is incomplete, and incursions by combatants from neighbouring Sudan fuel insecurity in the east.

Beyond the presidential contest, the elections on Sunday cover legislative, regional and municipal positions.

If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, a presidential runoff will take place on February 15, while legislative runoffs will take place on April 5.

Pangea-Risk, a consultancy, wrote in a note to clients that the risk of unrest after the election was high as opponents were likely to challenge Touadera's expected victory.

A smooth voting process could reinforce Touadera's claim that stability is returning, which was buttressed last year with the U.N. Security Council's lifting of an arms embargo and the lifting of a separate embargo on diamond exports.

In November, the U.N. Security Council extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission. The U.S. opposed the decision, calling for a shorter extension and a handover of security to Bangui. REUTERS