Wagner-backed Central African leader amends constitution to remove two-term limit

The Central African Republic voted to abolish term limits in a July 29 constitutional referendum, which may result in President Faustin-Archange Touadera seeking reelection in 2025.

The proposed new constitution that abolishes a two-term limit and extends the presidential mandate from five to seven years won approval by 95 percent of voters, the National Electoral Authority said in a statement.

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Voter participation was 61 percent. Opposition parties and civil society groups boycotted the referendum, which they deemed unlawful.

The Central African Republic is one of several African countries where Russia’s Wagner Group has established a presence in recent years, offering its services often in return for mineral resources, as a way to indirectly bolster the Kremlin’s geopolitical reach, according to the US Treasury and the Sentry, a US nonprofit.

The foreign fighters have played a central role in helping Touadera, 66, maintain his grip on power. Wagner was hired by Touadera in 2018 to help fend off rebels that continue to control large swathes of the country. Two years later, they protected him again, as rebels advanced on Bangui, the capital, days before Touadera sought reelection.

Wagner has about 1,500 troops including instructors and private military contractors in the Central African Republic, where they operate alongside the country’s army.

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