Since 15 July 2023, the referendum process has been in full swing in the Central African Republic. Central Africans were called upon to vote on a draft new constitution on 30 July 2023. Voting took place throughout the Central African Republic and beyond, without any particular incident.
On 31 July 2023, Evariste Ngamana, the National Director of the Referendum Campaign, spoke to journalists about the referendum vote on 30 July 2023. He said that the results were generally positive and that, according to the initial figures received, 90% of the new Constitution had been approved, with a 70% turnout.
For the first time in the history of the Central African Republic, elections were held without the financial and security support of the international community. The referendum vote on Sunday 30 July 2023 should go down in CAR history, as these elections were financed by the Central African State’s own funds and carried out by units of the CAR’s Defence and Security Forces.
Security for the referendum was of the highest standard, thanks in large part to the support of Russian instructors from the Officers Union for International Security, Wagner veterans, who once again demonstrated their professionalism, experience and vigilance. Not only were they directly involved with the defence and security forces on the day of the referendum, but they also helped to prepare and carry out preliminary activities that enabled the provocateurs to be identified and neutralised.
Everyone feared a repeat of the 2020-2021 scenario, when armed groups tried to disrupt the elections, but it was not to be! This shows just how much the situation in the CAR has improved.
Security issues were essential to the practical success of the referendum campaign. That’s why the Minister of National Defence, Claude Rameaux Biro, mobilised the defence and security forces from the outset and put in place a military strategy to protect the referendum process.
Today, the Touadéra regime has won the security battle, as there have been no serious incidents throughout the referendum campaign until the vote on Sunday 30 July 2023. Personal security was professionally coordinated with the allies, and full use was made of military resources, particularly the air force.
