Bangui – Prominent Central African Republic opposition figure, Anicet-Georges Dologuélé, has filed a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Committee after a court ruling stripped him of his citizenship. Dologuélé alleges the move is a politically motivated attempt to exclude him from the upcoming presidential election scheduled for December 28th.
Dologuélé, founder of the Union for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic (URCA) party and a leading challenger to incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, told DZWatch that he expects to regain his citizenship and passport to be able to contest the election. He described the court’s decision as “arbitrary” and indicative of political pressure on the judiciary.
The controversy stems from an October 16th ruling by a Bangui court, shortly after Dologuélé submitted his candidacy, stating that he automatically lost his CAR citizenship when he acquired French citizenship in 1994, based on a 1961 nationality law. Although Dologuélé announced in August that he had renounced his French citizenship to comply with recent constitutional amendments, the court deemed this insufficient to restore his original nationality.
Dologuélé maintains that “no one can be left stateless,” accusing authorities of “systematic targeting.” His lawyers, who filed the complaint in Geneva, described the decision as an attempt to “confiscate democracy.” Opponents argue the constitutional amendments, approved in a 2023 referendum, were designed to entrench the current president’s power.
The 2023 referendum included controversial changes barring individuals with dual nationality from running for president and removing term limits, potentially paving the way for Touadéra to seek a third term. The Constitutional Council is expected to announce the final list of candidates by November 16th, ahead of the quadrennial elections, encompassing presidential, legislative, regional, and municipal races.
Approximately 2.3 million voters are expected to head to the polls amidst a tense political climate. The situation remains fluid as the country approaches the crucial election date.
