2019 Edition

Background

The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 but lasted only a decade. In March 2003, President Ange-Felix PATASSE was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Elections held in 2005 affirmed General BOZIZE as president; he was reelected in 2011 in voting widely viewed as flawed. The government still lacks full control of the countryside, where lawlessness persists. Several rebel groups joined together in early December 2012 to launch a series of attacks that left them in control of numerous towns in the northern and central parts of the country. The rebels - unhappy with BOZIZE's government - participated in peace talks in early January 2013 which resulted in a coalition government including the rebellion's leadership. In March 2013, the coalition government dissolved, rebels seized the capital, and President BOZIZE fled the country. Rebel leader Michel DJOTODIA assumed the presidency and the following month established a National Transitional Council (CNT). In January 2014, the CNT elected Catherine SAMBA-PANZA as interim president. Elections completed in March 2016 installed independent candidate Faustin-Archange TOUADERA as president; he continues to work towards peace between the government and armed groups, and is developing a disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and repatriation program to reintegrate the armed groups into society.

Area

Land

622,984 sq km

Total

622,984 sq km

Water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than Texas; about four times the size of Georgia

Climate

tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

Highest Point

Mont Ngaoui 1,410 m

Lowest Point

Oubangui River 335 m

Mean Elevation

635 m

Environment Current Issues

water pollution; tap water is not potable; poaching and mismanagement have diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation; soil erosion

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

Signed But Not Ratified

Law of the Sea

Geographic Coordinates

7 00 N, 21 00 E

Geography Note

landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa

Irrigated Land

10 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Cameroon 901 km, Chad 1556 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1747 km, Republic of the Congo 487 km, South Sudan 1055 km, Sudan 174 km

Total

5,920 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

8.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

2.9% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

5.1% (2011 est.)

Forest

36.2% (2011 est.)

Other

55.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common

Natural Resources

diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower

Population Distribution

majority of residents live in the western and central areas of the country, especially in and around the capital of Bangui

Terrain

vast, flat to rolling plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest

Age Structure

0 14 Years

39.89% (male 1,151,724 /female 1,140,083)

15 24 Years

19.91% (male 574,969 /female 568,942)

25 54 Years

32.64% (male 938,365 /female 936,948)

55 64 Years

4.17% (male 112,310 /female 127,045)

65 Years And Over

3.39% (male 75,401 /female 119,275) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

34 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

24.6% (2012)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

15.2% (2010/11)

Current Health Expenditure

4.3% (2016)

Death Rate

12.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

The Central African Republic’s (CAR) humanitarian crisis has worsened since a coup in March 2013. CAR’s high mortality rate and low life expectancy are attributed to elevated rates of preventable and treatable diseases (including malaria and malnutrition), an inadequate health care system, precarious food security, and armed conflict. Some of the worst mortality rates are in western CAR’s diamond mining region, which is impoverished because of government attempts to control the diamond trade and the fall in industrial diamond prices. To make matters worse, the government and international donors have reduced health funding in recent years. The CAR’s weak educational system and low literacy rate have also suffered as a result of the country’s ongoing conflict. Schools are closed, qualified teachers are scarce, infrastructure, funding, and supplies are lacking and subject to looting, and many students and teachers are displaced by violence.Rampant poverty, human rights violations, unemployment, poor infrastructure, and a lack of security and stability have led to forced displacement internally and externally. Since the political crisis that resulted in CAR’s March 2013 coup began in December 2012, approximately 370,000 people have fled to Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and other neighboring countries, while more than an estimated 600,000 are displaced internally as of October 2017. The UN has urged countries to refrain from repatriating CAR refugees amid the heightened lawlessness.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

7 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

14.4 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

90 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

83.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

54.4% of population

Improved Total

68.5% of population

Improved Urban

89.6% of population

Unimproved Rural

45.6% of population

Unimproved Total

31.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

10.4% of population

Education Expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic Groups

Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

3.6% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

4,800 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

110,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

76.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

91.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

84.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

54.7 years

Male

51.9 years

Total Population

53.3 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

24.4% (2015)

Male

50.7%

Total Population

36.8%

Major Infectious Diseases

Animal Contact Diseases

rabies (2019)

Degree Of Risk

very high (2019)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2019)

Respiratory Diseases

meningococcal meningitis (2019)

Vectorborne Diseases

malaria and dengue fever (2019)

Water Contact Diseases

schistosomiasis (2019)

Major Urban Areas Population

870,000 BANGUI (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

829 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

20.1 years

Male

19.5 years

Total

19.8 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Central African

Noun

Central African(s)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

7.5% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.06 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

5,745,062 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.11% (2018 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% (2018)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

7.2% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

21.8% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

43.6% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

92.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

78.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

56.4% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

6 years (2012)

Male

8 years

Total

7 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.63 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.99 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.25 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

2.52% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

41.8% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune**; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui**, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi*, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere*, Vakaga

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

4 22 N, 18 35 E

Name

Bangui

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

least one parent must be a citizen of the Central African Republic

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

35 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposals require support of the government, two thirds of the National Council of Transition, and assent by the "Mediator of the Central African" crisis; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the National Council membership; non-amendable constitutional provisions include those on the secular and republican form of government, fundamental rights and freedoms, amendment procedures, or changes to the authorities of various high-level executive, parliamentary, and judicial officials (2017)

History

several previous; latest (interim constitution) approved by the Transitional Council 30 August 2015, adopted by referendum 13-14 December 2015, ratified 27 March 2016

Country Name

Abbreviation

CAR

Conventional Long Form

Central African Republic

Conventional Short Form

none

Etymology

self-descriptive name specifying the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

Former

Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire

Local Long Form

Republique Centrafricaine

Local Short Form

none

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Lucy TAMLYN (since 6 February 2019)

Embassy

Avenue David Dacko, Bangui

Fax

[236] 21 61 4494

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 924, Bangui

Telephone

[236] 21 61 0200

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

2704 Ontario Road NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Martial NDOUBOU (since 17 September 2018)

Fax

[1] (202) 332-9893

Telephone

[1] (202) 483-7800

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Chief Of State

President Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (since 30 March 2016)

Election Results

Faustin-Archange TOUADERA elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Anicet-Georges DOLOGUELE (URCA) 23.7%, Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (independent) 19.1%, Desire KOLINGBA (RDC) 12.%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 11.4%, other 33.8%; percent of vote in second round - Faustin-Archange TOUADERA 62.7%, Anicet-Georges DOLOGUELE 37.3%

Elections Appointments

under the 2015 constitution, the president is elected by universal direct suffrage for a period of 5 years (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 December 2015 with a runoff 20 February 2016 (next to be held in 2020)

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Firmin NGREBADA (since 25 February 2019)

Flag Description

four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; a yellow five-pointed star to the hoist side of the blue band; banner combines the Pan-African and French flag colors; red symbolizes the blood spilled in the struggle for independence, blue represents the sky and freedom, white peace and dignity, green hope and faith, and yellow tolerance; the star represents aspiration towards a vibrant future

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

13 August 1960 (from France)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country) (suspended), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, at least 3 of whom are women)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judge appointments - 2 by the president, 1 by the speaker of the National Assembly, 2 elected by their peers, 2 are advocates elected by their peers, and 2 are law professors elected by their peers; judges serve 7-year non-renewable terms

Subordinate Courts

high courts; magistrates' courts

Legal System

civil law system based on the French model

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (140 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNDP 16, URCA 11, RDC 8, MLPC 10, KNK 7, other 28, independent 60; composition - men 129, women 11, percent of women 7.9%

Elections

last held 30 December 2015 (results annulled), 14 February 2016 - first round and 31 March 2016 - second round (next to be held in 2021)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Barthelemy BOGANDA/Herbert PEPPER

Name

"Le Renaissance" (The Renaissance)

National Holiday

Republic Day, 1 December (1958)

National Symbol S

elephant; national colors: blue, white, green, yellow, red

Political Parties And Leaders

Action Party for Development or PAD [El Hadj Laurent NGON-BABA] Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Clement BELIBANGA] Central African Democratic Rally or RDC [Desire Nzanga KOLINGBA] Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [Louis PAPENIAH] Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Martin ZIGUELE] National Convergence (also known as Kwa Na Kwa) or KNK [Francois BOZIZE] National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Amine MICHEL] New Alliance for Progress or NAP [Jean-Jacques DEMAFOUTH] Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE] Union for Central African Renewal or URCA [Anicet-Georges DOLOGUELE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

cotton, coffee, tobacco, cassava (manioc, tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber

Budget

Expenditures

300.1 million (2017 est.)

Revenues

282.9 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-0.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2008

4.75%

31 December 2009

4.25%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

15.5%

31 December 2017

15.5%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$97 million

2017

-$163 million

Debt External

31 December 2016

$691.5 million

31 December 2017

$779.9 million

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

1993

61.3

2003

43.6

Economy Overview

Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry and mining, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with about 60% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of estimated GDP, although statistics are unreliable in the conflict-prone country. Timber and diamonds account for most export earnings, followed by cotton. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked geography, poor transportation system, largely unskilled work force, and legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is highly unequal and grants from the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs. CAR shares a common currency with the Central African Monetary Union. The currency is pegged to the Euro.Since 2009, the IMF has worked closely with the government to institute reforms that have resulted in some improvement in budget transparency, but other problems remain. The government's additional spending in the run-up to the 2011 election worsened CAR's fiscal situation. In 2012, the World Bank approved $125 million in funding for transport infrastructure and regional trade, focused on the route between CAR's capital and the port of Douala in Cameroon. In July 2016, the IMF approved a three-year extended credit facility valued at $116 million; in mid-2017, the IMF completed a review of CAR’s fiscal performance and broadly approved of the government’s management, although issues with revenue collection, weak government capacity, and transparency remain. The World Bank in late 2016 approved a $20 million grant to restore basic fiscal management, improve transparency, and assist with economic recovery.Participation in the Kimberley Process, a commitment to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain, led to a partially lifted the ban on diamond exports from CAR in 2015, but persistent insecurity is likely to constrain real GDP growth.

Exchange Rates

2013

494.42

2014

591.45

2015

593.01

2016

593.01

2017

605.3

Currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$101.5 million

2017

$113.7 million

Exports Commodities

diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee

Exports Partners

France 31.2%, Burundi 16.2%, China 12.5%, Cameroon 9.6%, Austria 7.8% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

12% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

8.5% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

95.3% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-29.5% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

13.7% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

43.2% (2017 est.)

Industry

16% (2017 est.)

Services

40.8% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$1.937 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$600

2016

$700

2017

$700

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$3.108 billion

2016

$3.249 billion

2017

$3.39 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

4.8%

2016

4.5%

2017

4.3%

Gross National Saving

2015

4.2% of GDP

2016

8.2% of GDP

2017

5.4% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

33% (2003)

Lowest 10

2.1%

Imports

2016

$342.2 million

2017

$393.1 million

Imports Commodities

food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

Imports Partners

France 17.1%, US 12.3%, India 11.5%, China 8.2%, South Africa 7.4%, Japan 5.8%, Italy 5.1%, Cameroon 4.9%, Netherlands 4.6% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

3.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, sugar refining

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

4.6%

2017

4.1%

Labor Force

2.242 million (2017 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

62% NA (2008 est.)

Public Debt

2016

56% of GDP

2017

52.9% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$252.5 million

31 December 2017

$304.3 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$341.5 million

31 December 2017

$428.9 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$452.7 million

31 December 2017

$547 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$341.5 million

31 December 2017

$428.9 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

14.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2017

6.9%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

413,800 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

0.4% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

14% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

34.1% (2016)

Population Without Electricity

5 million (2017)

Electricity Consumption

159.4 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

50% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

50% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

38,300 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

171.4 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

2,800 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

2,799 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

government-owned network, Radiodiffusion Television Centrafricaine, provides limited domestic TV broadcasting; state-owned radio network is supplemented by a small number of privately owned broadcast stations as well as a few community radio stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are available (2017)

Internet Country Code

.cf

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

4.6% (July 2016 est.)

Total

246,000

Telephone System

Domestic

very limited telephone service with less than 1 fixed-line connection per 100 persons; with the presence of multiple providers mobile-cellular service has reached 22 per 100 mobile-cellular subscribers; cellular usage is increasing from a low base; most fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone services are concentrated in Bangui (2018)

General Assessment

network consists principally of microwave radio relay and at low-capacity; ongoing conflict has obstructed telecommunication and media development, although there are ISP (Internet service providers) and mobile phone carriers, radio is the most-popular communications medium (2018)

International

country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

less than 1 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

1,964

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

22 (July 2016 est.)

Total Subscriptions

1,248,346

Airports

39 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

2 438 To 3 047 M

1

Total

1 (2019)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

11 (2013)

2 438 To 3 047 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

19 (2013)

Total

37 (2013)

Under 914 M

6 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

TL (2016)

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

0 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

46,364 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

2 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

2 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Bangui (Oubangui)

Roadways

Paved

700 km (2018)

Total

24,000 km (2018)

Unpaved

23,300 km (2018)

Waterways

2,800 km (the primary navigable river is the Ubangi, which joins the River Congo; it was the traditional route for the export of products because it connected with the Congo-Ocean railway at Brazzaville; because of the warfare on both sides of the River Congo from 1997, importers and exporters preferred routes through Cameroon) (2011)

Military And Security Forces

Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Ground Forces (includes Military Air Service), General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), National Police (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

2.56% of GDP

2015

1.69% of GDP

2016

1.53% of GDP

2017

1.44% of GDP

2018

1.41% of GDP

Military Note

the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has operated in the country since 2014; its peacekeeping mission includes providing security, protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance, disarming and demobilizing armed groups, and supporting the country’s fragile transitional government; as of September 2019, MINUSCA had nearly 14,000 total personnel, including about 10,800 troops; in November 2019, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the MINUSCA peacekeeping mission another year (2019)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for military service; no conscription (2019)

Disputes International

periodic skirmishes persist over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

600,136 (clashes between army and rebel groups since 2005; tensions between ethnic groups) (2019)

Trafficking In Persons

Current Situation

Central African Republic (CAR) is a source, transit, and destination country for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, women subjected to forced prostitution, and adults subjected to forced labor; most victims appear to be CAR citizens exploited within the country, with a smaller number transported back and forth between the CAR and nearby countries; armed groups operating in the CAR, including those aligned with the former SELEKA Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army, continue to recruit and re-recruit children for military activities and labor; children are also subject to domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor in agriculture, mines, shops, and street vending; women and girls are subject to domestic servitude, sexual slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced marriage

Tier Rating

Tier 3 – the Central African Republic does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government conducted a limited number of investigations and prosecutions of cases of suspected human trafficking in 2014 but did not identify, provide protection to, or refer to care providers any trafficking victims; the government did not directly provide reintegration programs for demobilized child soldiers, leaving victims vulnerable to further exploitation or retrafficking by armed groups, including those affiliated with the government; in 2014, an NGO and the government began drafting a national action plan against trafficking but no efforts were reported to establish a policy against child soldiering or to raise awareness about existing laws prohibiting the use of children in the armed forces (2015)