CAR Opposition Leader Dologuélé Slams Travel Ban as 'Abuse of Power'

The political temperature in the Central African Republic has spiked once again. On Tuesday morning, just as he was preparing to board a flight to Addis Ababa, opposition heavyweight Anicet-Georges Dologuélé, former Prime Minister and presidential candidate, found himself grounded. Not by weather or mechanical failure, but by a state decree stripping him of his right to leave the country.

Dologuélé, who has been locked in a bitter legal and political feud with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra since the December 2025 elections, was blocked from traveling to attend an African Union Peace Fund meeting. He has chaired the fund’s board of directors since 2018. The incident underscores the deepening rift between the ruling party and its most prominent critics, raising questions about democratic norms in Bangui.

A Citizenship Dispute Turns Political Weapon

Here’s the thing: this isn’t just a travel inconvenience. It’s the latest chapter in a legal battle that began months ago. In October, a court ruled that Dologuélé had lost his Centrafrican citizenship because he held French nationality. This came despite the fact that Dologuélé had voluntarily renounced his French passport in August 2025—specifically to clear the way for his presidential bid against Touadéra.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Dologuélé didn’t mince words. He stated that the minister of the interior had "clearly decided that I was not entitled to a Centrafrican passport and that I was banned from leaving the country." He characterized the move as an "abuse of power by the state." For a politician who has finished second to Touadéra in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, being treated as a non-citizen is a stinging humiliation.

The twist is that this legal maneuver comes after the dust settled on the December 28, 2025 general elections. Those polls saw Touadéra re-elected with more than 70 percent of the vote (some reports cited nearly 78 percent). Dologuélé, coming in second, immediately denounced "massive fraud" and filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court. Now, with the travel ban, the government appears to be tightening the screws further.

Election Repression and Security Concerns

The road to these elections was anything but smooth. The campaign period, which ran from December 13 to December 26, 2025, was marred by allegations of repression. The ruling United Hearts Movement faced accusations of hindering opposition activities. Opposition leaders, including Dominique Yandocka, were imprisoned despite parliamentary immunity. Rallies were banned, and candidates like Dologuélé and Henri-Marie Dondra claimed authorities actively obstructed their campaigns.

Logistics also played a role in the controversy. While MINUSCA (the UN stabilization mission) registered 570,000 voters, security issues meant 58 registration centers remained closed due to violence. Ultimately, about 2.3 million voters were registered. The National Elections Authority (ANE) managed the process, requiring a simple majority to win in the first round—a threshold Touadéra easily surpassed.

Human Rights Watch expressed concerns about the election conduct, while the U.S. and French governments advised against travel to the CAR due to high risks of violence and kidnapping. With Russian security forces guarding major cities alongside UN peacekeepers, the security landscape remains complex and fragile.

Constitutional Changes and Term Limits

To understand why this matters so much, you have to look at the rules of the game. A new constitution adopted in July 2023 removed presidential term limits. This change allowed Touadéra, first elected in 2016, to seek a third consecutive term. Opposition leaders argued this created a "presidency for life," undermining democracy in a region where coups are increasingly common.

Dologuélé’s challenge was always uphill. He had to overcome not just the incumbent’s popularity but also a constitutional framework designed to favor the status quo. By renouncing his French citizenship, he met the legal requirements to run. But the subsequent loss of his Centrafrican citizenship via court order suggests a retaliatory motive.

The timeline adds another layer of tension. Provisional results were announced in early January 2026, with the Constitutional Court set to validate the final winner in mid-January. Yet, even before that validation is complete, Dologuélé is already being marginalized through administrative bans.

What Happens Next?

The immediate future looks uncertain. Dologuélé’s appeal to the Constitutional Court regarding the election results is pending. Simultaneously, his legal team will likely challenge the travel ban and citizenship revocation. If successful, this could reopen the debate over the fairness of the December 2025 elections.

For now, the opposition is fragmented and under pressure. With seven candidates approved by the Constitutional Court—including two former prime ministers—the field was competitive on paper. But in practice, the playing field was tilted. As international observers watch closely, the actions of the Touadéra administration will define whether the CAR moves toward stability or deeper authoritarianism.