Faustin-Archange Touadéra

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French: [fostɛ̃aʁkɑ̃ʒtwadeʁa] ; born 21 April 1957) is a Central African politician and mathematician who has been president of the Central African Republic since March 2016, and was previously its prime minister from 2008 to 2013. He was elected to the presidency at the 2015–2016 general election, in a second round of voting against former prime minister Anicet Georges Dologuélé. He was re-elected for a second term at the 2020–2021 election and a third term at the 2025 Central African election, both of which took place amid low voter turnout and political violence. [2] [3]

Contents

Touadéra has been backed by the Wagner Group, a Russian state-sponsored private military company that has financed his election efforts, launched information campaigns biased in his favour, and intimidated his political opposition. [4] [5] During his rule, which included the removal of term limits after the contested 2023 Central African constitutional referendum and the controversial 2025 Central African general election, [6] his government has repressed political opposition in the country. [7] [4]

Early life

Faustin-Archange Touadéra was born in Bangui [1] (then in Ubangi-Shari and now in the Central African Republic) on 21 April 1957, [8] the son of a driver and a farmer. [8] His family was originally from Damara. [9] He received his secondary education at the Barthelemy Boganda College in Bangui and obtained a baccalaureate in 1976, [1] before attending the University of Bangui and the University of Abidjan. He earned a Mathematics Doctorate in 1986, supervised by Daniel Goulding at the Lille University of Science and Technology (Lille I) in France, [10] [11] and another doctorate, also in mathematics and supervised by Marcel Dossa, [12] at the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon in 2004. [13]

Academic career

In 1987, Touadéra became assistant lecturer of mathematics at the University of Bangui and was vice-dean of the University's Faculty of Science from 1989 to 1992. [13] In the latter year he became director of the teachers' training college. He joined the Inter-State Committee for the Standardisation of Mathematics Programs in the French-speaking countries and the Indian Ocean (CIEHPM) in 1999, serving as the president of the Committee from 2001 to 2003. He became vice chancellor of the University of Bangui in May 2004. [8] Touadéra subsequently served as rector of the university from 2005 to 2008, during which time he launched several key initiatives, such as the entrepreneurship training program and the creation of the Euclid Consortium. [14]

Prime minister

Touadéra was appointed prime minister by President François Bozizé on 22 January 2008, following the resignation of Élie Doté. [15] His government, composed of 29 members—four ministers of state, 17 ministers, and seven minister delegates, along with himself—was appointed on 28 January. [16] A national dialogue was held in December 2008, and François Bozizé then dissolved Touadéra's government on 18 January 2009 in preparation for the formation of a government of national unity. [17] Touadéra was reappointed prime minister on 19 January. Later on the same day, his new 31-minister government was appointed, with only 10 ministers retaining their posts; many former rebels were included in the new line-up to prepare the country for the 2009 local elections and the 2010 presidential and parliamentary polls. [18]

Following a peace deal between the Bozizé government and the Séléka rebel coalition in January 2013, Bozizé dismissed Touadéra on 12 January 2013, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, which required that a new prime minister be appointed from the political opposition. [19] Later, Touadéra announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate in the 2015–16 Central African general election. [20]

EUCLID involvement and High Steward

In 2008, the Euclid Consortium initiative hosted by the University of Bangui led to the formation of an intergovernmental university named EUCLID (Euclid University) (French: Pôle Universitaire Euclide). In his capacity as prime minister, Touadera signed the instrument of participation for the Central African Republic in May 2010. His chief of cabinet Simplice Sarandji also signed the headquarters agreement for EUCLID in March 2011. In April 2012, Touadera personally presided over a graduation ceremony in New York, at the Permanent Mission of the Central African Republic to the United Nations, for a graduating diplomat of Burundi. After his tenure as prime minister, Touadera became EUCLID's High Steward, an honorary role. [21]

President

Election

Touadera with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, 11 April 2019 Secretary Pompeo meets with Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera (33709600898).jpg
Touadéra with US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, 11 April 2019

Touadéra stood as a candidate in the December 2015–February 2016 presidential election. After finishing second in the first round of voting, he received the support of the majority of defeated candidates for the second round, which he won with 62% of the vote. He was sworn in on 30 March 2016. Speaking on the occasion, he vowed to pursue disarmament and "make CAR a united country, a country of peace, a country facing development". [22] He appointed Simplice Sarandji as prime minister on 2 April 2016. Sarandji was Touadéra's campaign manager during the election and Touadéra's chief of staff during his own time as prime minister. [23] [24]

Tenure

Touadera with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi on 23 October 2019 Vladimir Putin & Faustin Touadera - 2019.jpg
Touadéra with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia–Africa Summit in Sochi on 23 October 2019

After Touadéra was sworn into office, France confirmed that it would end its military intervention in Central African Republic. France had around 2,500 troops deployed in the country as part of Operation Sangaris, supporting about 10,000 United Nations peacekeepers. [25] Without France's support, Touadéra faced the immediate challenge of maintaining security in major cities. [25] The Central African Republic saw a 36 percent drop in its gross domestic product in 2013. The economy has slowly grown since then, but with the agricultural sector — the main contributor to GDP — still struggling, the government is struggling to raise revenue. [25] In April 2022, CAR approved a plan to make Bitcoin an official currency in the country. [26] At the time, it was the second country to make the cryptocurrency legal tender joining El Salvador. [27] The plan was abandoned in 2023. [28] In December 2022, he attended the United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022 and met with US president Joe Biden. [29]

Touadéra's personal security detail is reportedly composed of members of the Russian Wagner Group. [30] In July 2023, Touadéra attended the 2023 Russia–Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg and met Russian President Vladimir Putin. Touadéra expressed support for Russia, saying that Russia "had helped to save its democracy and prevent a civil war". [31] Also during the month, Touadéra called for a referendum to abolish term limits (at the time set to two five-year terms), while also increasing the length of the term to seven years. Without the change, Touadéra would have been term-limited and ineligible to stand at the next presidential election. In order to hold the referendum, Touadéra sacked the head of the constitutional court in October 2022, which had previously ruled the referendum (boycotted by the opposition) unconstitutional. [32] [33]

President Touadera with one of his two wives, First Lady Brigitte Touadera, at the 65th independence parade in 2025 Le president et la premiere dame etaient presents aux paradex militaire qui avait eu lieu au camp KASSAi..jpg
President Touadéra with one of his two wives, First Lady Brigitte Touadéra, at the 65th independence parade in 2025

In April 2024, Touadéra was received at the Elysée in France, for the second time since the start of his mandate in 2016, to sign a roadmap which will provide for the reestablishment of bilateral relations between the Central African Republic and France. [34] In July 2025, he announced his reelection bid for president as the candidate of the United Hearts Movement in the 2025 Central African general election scheduled in December. [35] In November 2025, the Constitutional Court authorized him to seek another term, despite opposition parties claiming that he does not meet the criteria for another election. [36] He subsequently won the election with around 76% of the vote. [37] On 10 February 2025, Touadera announced the creation of $CAR as the country's official meme coin describing it as an "experiment" in national development. The coin briefly reached a US$900 million market cap [38] before experiencing a significant price drop of over 90%. [39]

Ahead of the 2025 general election, Touadéra repressed the political opposition in the Central African Republic, attempting to use the powers of the state to prevent opposition candidates from contesting in the election. [7] [40] Provisional results, which were announced on 6 January 2026, [6] showed that he won re-election with 76% of the votes, [41] with a reported turnout among registered voters was 52.42%. [42] His opponents in the election disputed the results, citing alleged malpractice by the National Authority of Elections (ANE) and widespread electoral fraud. [43] Anicet-Georges Dologuélé declared himself the winner of the election. [6]

Personal life

Touadéra was a deacon in a Baptist church of the Fraternal Union of Baptist Churches, [44] and is still a member of this union. [45] He is polygynous and married to two wives, Brigitte Touadéra and Tina Marguerite Touadéra. [46] Both Brigitte and Tina Touadéra have reportedly vied for the title and role of First Lady of the Central African Republic behind the scenes. [46] Touadéra has three children. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ngoulou, Fridolin (22 February 2016). "Qui est le nouveau président centrafricain Faustin Archange Touadera ?" (in French). RJDH. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Koena, Jean Fernand; Irwin, Zane (30 July 2023). "Constitutional referendum to remove presidential term limits divides Central African Republic". AP News. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Central African Republic (CAR) election: Faustin-Archange Touadéra wins third term". www.bbc.com. 6 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 Spearin, Christopher (2025). "Russia's Wagner Group and the sustainment of authoritarianism in Africa: Implications for China at home and abroad" . Contemporary Security Policy. 46 (3): 497–521. doi:10.1080/13523260.2025.2474763. ISSN   1352-3260.
  5. ↑ "Wagner-backed CAR leader asks voters to abolish term limits". BBC News. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Koena, Jean-Fernand; Adetayo, Ope (6 January 2026). "Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadéra reelected, provisional results show". AP News. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Central African Republic: Concerns Over Crucial Election". Human Rights Watch. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 Duhem, Vincent (22 February 2016). "Centrafrique : cinq choses à savoir sur Faustin-Archange Touadéra". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  9. ↑ Tshitenge Lubabu M. K., "Faustin-Archange Touadéra", Jeune Afrique, 15 June 2008 (in French).
  10. ↑ Touadera, Faustin. Problème de Cauchy matriciels C∞ et dans les espaces de Sobolev à caractéristiques multiples.
  11. ↑ Matrix Cauchy problems with multiple characteristics in C∞ and Sobolev spaces (Thèse de 3e cycle (Doctoral thesis)). Université Lille I. 1986. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013.
  12. ↑ "IMHOTEP". Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Central African Republic swears in new president". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  14. ↑ Erisman, Al (1 October 2007). "Update: Return to the Central African Republic". Ethix.org. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Centrafrique: le recteur de l'université de Bangui nommé Premier ministre" Archived 21 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine , AFP, 22 January 2008 (in French).
  16. ↑ Bozize, François (28 January 2008). "Décret 08.025 du 28 Janvier 2008, portant nomination des Members du Gouvernement et ses modificatifs subséquents". Journal Official de la Republique Centrafricaine (in French).
  17. ↑ "Central African Republic president dissolves government". ABC News . Agence France-Presse. 18 January 2009. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  18. ↑ Bozize, François (19 January 2009). "Décret n°09.018 du 19 janvier 2009, portant nomination des membres du Gouvernement". Journal Official de la Republique Centrafricaine.
  19. ↑ "Central African opposition names Tiangaye as new PM". Modern Ghana. Agence France-Presse . Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "Exiled Central African leader Bozize to stand at election". Reuters. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  21. ↑ "EUCLID News and Events". Euclid University.
  22. ↑ "Central African Republic's president vows peace, reforms at inauguration", Reuters, 30 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "Central African president names PM in decree: radio". Reuters. 2 April 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  24. ↑ "Centrafrique : Sarandji nommé Premier ministre". BBC News Afrique (in French). 2 April 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  25. 1 2 3 Winsor, Morgan (30 March 2016). "Central African Republic's New President Touadera In Uphill Battle Against Warring Muslim, Christian Militias". International Business Times . Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  26. ↑ "Bitcoin becomes official currency in Central African Republic". 27 April 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  27. ↑ Buck, Jonathan (30 April 2023). "The Fall Of Bitcoin In The Central African Republic: Why This Legal Tender Experiment Failed". Nasdaq. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  28. ↑ Toppa, Sabrina (30 September 2023). "Why did the Central African Republic toss out bitcoin?". TheStreet. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  29. ↑ "Africa: Heads of Delegation for U.S–Africa Leaders Summit – White House". AllAfrica . 13 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  30. ↑ Hauer, Neil (27 August 2018). "Russia's Favorite Mercenaries". The Atlantic . Wagner appears to have tapped this possibility at the highest level, reportedly serving as CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera's personal security detail.
  31. ↑ "African leaders tell Putin: 'We have a right to call for peace'". Reuters. 29 July 2023.
  32. ↑ "In Central African Republic, government removes two constitutional court judges after judgment seen as blocking president's plans to bypass term limits". Reuters. 31 October 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2023– via ConstitutionNet.
  33. ↑ "République centrafricaine : Le référendum présente des risques". Human Rights Watch (in French). 5 June 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  34. ↑ "Centrafrique Faustin-Archange Touadéra de nouveau reçu par Emmanuel Macron". Africa Intelligence (in French). 5 April 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  35. ↑ "Central African Republic's President Touadera confirms third-term bid". Africanews. 27 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  36. ↑ Koena, Jean Fernand; Banchereau, Mark (14 November 2025). "Central African Republic leader cleared for third term in key vote followed closely by Russia". AP NEWS. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  37. ↑ "Central African Republic president wins third term by landslide". BBC News. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  38. ↑ Jha, Prashant (10 February 2025). "Central African Republic's National Memecoin Hits $900M Market Cap—But Is It Real?". CCN. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  39. ↑ Rukanga, Basillioh (11 February 2025). "CAR leader launches meme-coin 'experiment'". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  40. ↑ "Central African Republic President Touadéra wins third term: provisional results". Africanews. 6 January 2026. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  41. ↑ "Central African Republic President Touadera wins re-election, results show". Radio France Internationale. 6 January 2026. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  42. ↑ "Central African Republic's Touadera wins third presidential term". France24. 6 January 2026. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  43. ↑ Muia, Wycliffe (6 January 2026). "Central African Republic president wins third term by landslide". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  44. ↑ Vincent Hugeux, Faustin-Archange Touadéra: "Réconcilier les Centrafricains", lexpress.fr, France, May 29, 2016
  45. ↑ Ornella K., Centrafrique : S.E TOUADERA, impliqué dans la promotion de la culture religieuse Archived 28 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine , lavoixdafrique.info, August 23, 2022
  46. 1 2 "Centrafrique: Brigitte et Tina Touadéra, la bataille de l'ombre pour la place de première dame". Koaci.com. 20 March 2017. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Visit of Faustin-Archange Touadera, President of the Central African Republic, to the European Commission (P067074-430913, cropped).jpg
Touadéra in 2025
8th President of the Central African Republic
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 March 2016
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