Since 2021, the influence of armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) has declined significantly. In April 2025, the two most active groups, the Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) and the Retour, Réclamation, Réhabilitation (3R) movement, announced that they were returning to the 2019 peace agreement. However, several sources remain sceptical about the sustainability of these commitments. According to United Nations sources, armed groups remain the main perpetrators of human rights violations within the country. These sources have noted an increase in such violations since 2024.
The main political opposition platform, the Bloc républicain pour la défense de la Constitution (BRDC), boycotted the December 2025 quadruple elections (presidential, legislative, regional and municipal), which, in urban centres, took place without major incident. The opposition denounced significant irregularities. President Faustin Archange Touadéra won a third term.
According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the combatants primarily responsible for violent incidents in Bangui are the Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA), including the Bataillon d’intervention rapide (BIR) and the presidential security unit, and also the Wagner Group, which is composed of Russian mercenaries. Although the FACA has gradually expanded its presence throughout the country, it operates almost entirely under Wagner's command, particularly in the interior of the country, with the agreement of the president's inner circle. Although Wagner has a lower profile in Bangui, the organisation has infiltrated all security structures and stands accused of serious human rights violations.
From early 2024 to late December 2025, ACLED recorded 47 violent incidents in Bangui, which is home to nearly a quarter of the population. These incidents represented 5 % of all those recorded in the CAR. Most of these incidents involved violence against civilians and these resulted in 32 deaths, accounting for 2 % of all victims. Several sources report an ongoing increase in crime-related insecurity in Bangui. Media reports suggest that police and military personnel, as well as Wagner Group members, are involved in robberies and racketeering. The Muslim neighbourhood of Point kilométrique 5 (PK5) in the 3rd arrondissement has been particularly affected. In 2024, Wagner elements kidnapped and sometimes killed former members of self-defence militias who refused to serve in the army. As the economic heart of the capital, this neighbourhood is also a prime target for banditry.
In response to the resurgence in crime, the Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en République centrafricaine (MINUSCA) has been conducting regular joint patrols with Central African security forces. MINUSCA no longer considers Bangui a priority area for the protection of civilians.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the government is cracking down on civil society, the media, and opposition political parties. Government institutions have prevented opponents from demonstrating and have falsely accused activists of collaborating with armed groups. In Bangui Prefecture, the United Nations has registered 94,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), almost all of whom are living with host families.
The CAR is heavily dependent on international financial institutions to finance its public expenditure. The country suffers from frequent fuel shortages due to the involvement of organised crime in the supply chain. This causes food prices to soar, thereby affecting the purchasing power of the population. Health services are concentrated in the capital and largely inaccessible outside Bangui. Opportunities for young people in terms of education, employment and political participation are limited. Nearly 40 % of Bangui's inhabitants live in poverty. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has noted worrying levels of food insecurity.
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.