Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadéra reelected, provisional results show

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BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadéra won a third term in last month's election, provisional results showed.

The major opposition coalition boycotted the vote after a referendum allowed the removal of term limits.

Touadéra, 68, faced challenges from six candidates, but the main opposition coalition did not participate after denouncing what it called an unequal political environment.

He won 76.15% of the votes, according to the provisional results the election authority released late Monday.

Some 2.4 million Central African Republic citizens were registered to vote in a first-of-its-kind election in the country, where citizens voted simultaneously for all tiers of government, including presidential, legislative, regional and municipal seats.

Two opposition candidates have already contested the results, citing instances of alleged malpractice by the National Elections Authority and widespread fraud. Anicet Georges Dologuélé, the runner-up who received 14.66% of the vote, proclaimed himself the winner of the election on Friday.

Analysts say Touadéra has consolidated power within state institutions.

The country has been embroiled in conflict since 2013 after mostly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-President François Bozizé out of office. The conflict was de-escalated by a 2019 peace deal between the government and 14 armed groups. Six of the 14 groups later withdrew from the agreement.

The Central African Republic is one of the countries where Wagner, a Russian mercenary group, was first active in Africa. The group has been responsible for Touadéra's security, but tensions have grown between Touadéra and Russia after Moscow demanded that Wagner be replaced with the Russian government-run African Corps.

Security issues ranked high among voters’ concerns in the election, even though the crisis has dwindled. The United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSCA, which has been present in the country since 2014, is facing a drawdown due to financial constraints.

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Ope Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.