Human Rights Watch reports on Central African Republic's 2025 developments

On January 13, 2026, Human Rights Watch released its World Report 2026, detailing events in the Central African Republic (CAR) during 2025. The report highlights several key developments: the December 2025 local elections, the first in over 36 years, were held after multiple postponements; a new ceasefire agreement was signed in April between the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) and the Return, Reclamation and Rehabilitation (èR) groups; and the Special Criminal Court (SCC) made progress in prosecuting serious crimes, including the conviction of six members of the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including ongoing security issues, attacks against civilians, and the need for continued support to strengthen the rule of law and human rights protections in CAR.