The Central African Republic has scheduled presidential and parliamentary elections for 13 December, the electoral commission has said, reviving delayed efforts to restore democracy in a country rocked by fighting since 2013. The polls were initially to have been held on 18 October but were postponed, in part due to violence in the capital. A run-off presidential vote would be held on 24 January if needed, state radio said.
The elections are intended to usher in a government with authority to restore order in one of Africa’s most turbulent states and pave the way for the departure of UN and French peacekeepers.
Central African Republic was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when Muslim rebels from an umbrella group called Seleka seized power in the majority Christian country.
