In May, Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra announced a constitutional referendum for 30 July 2023. This announcement was the culmination of a process that started much earlier and has drawn the ire of opposition parties, civil society and rebel movements. The constitutional referendum project is largely viewed as aiming to lift the presidential term limit, allowing Touadéra to run for a third term and possibly more.

For the Central African Republic’s (CAR) presidential camp, this reform is an aspiration of the people and must correct the imperfections of the 2016 Constitution, which they say contains provisions that could compromise the country’s development.

Despite encountering serious resistance, the presidential camp has remained determined. The Constitutional Court, chaired by Professor Danièle Darlan, issued a ruling on 23 September 2020 declaring the planned reform unconstitutional, particularly the possible lifting of presidential term limits. She was automatically retired and replaced by Jean-Pierre Waboé, who is seen as close to the president.

First elected in February 2016, Touadéra was re-elected for a second five-year term in 2020. The opposition contested the results due to alleged fraud, a lack of transparency and the impossibility for more than half of registered electors to vote. Political tensions, therefore, date back to the 2020 elections.

The Republican Dialogue of March 2021, meant to ease political tensions, was boycotted by the opposition and rebel movements. Moreover, at that occasion, the sensitive issue of constitutional reform was barely discussed.

With the announcement of the date of the constitutional referendum, the political actors and civil society again mobilised. The Bloc Républicain pour la Défense de la Constitution, a group of opposition parties, is firmly opposed to the proposed constitutional reform. The Groupe d’action des organisations de la société civile pour la défense de la Constitution du 30 Mars 2016 was set up to block the way to this initiative.

On their side, rebel movements base their threats on Touadéra’s desire to run for a third term at any cost. They intend to prevent this through military means. These rebels are regularly involved in attacks, especially in the Nana-Mambéré and Bamingui-Bangoran prefectures.