Ballot counting now complete and official results expected on January 5, 2026, according to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission MINUSCA.

Preliminary reports from election observers indicate that more than 99% of polling stations across the country opened on schedule on December 28, marking a significant logistical and political milestone for the landlocked nation.

The transfer of envelopes containing results from 19 prefectural capitals to the national capital, Bangui, is currently underway, supported by MINUSCA through air and ground security escorts.

The vote brought together four separate ballots in a single national exercise, an unprecedented development in the country’s electoral history. Municipal elections, in particular, had not been held since 1988 and formed a key commitment under the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, aimed at restoring local governance after years of instability.

Conducting the elections posed major challenges in a country defined by vast distances, dense forests and limited infrastructure. Outside Bangui, many communities are accessible only by air or after days of travel on difficult roads. Despite these constraints, MINUSCA and its partners delivered voting materials to 6 679 of the country’s 6 700 polling stations, enabling polling to proceed across all 20 prefectures.

In total, the UN mission carried out 84 flights and eight road convoys, transporting more than 230 tonnes of election materials, including ballot papers, voter cards, indelible ink, voting booths and ballot boxes. Some 34 500 people, including electoral agents, supervisors and polling station staff, were trained with UN support ahead of the vote.

The successful completion of polling and counting is being viewed as a critical test for the country’s fragile peace process, with attention now turning to the announcement of results and their acceptance by political stakeholders and the wider public.

–UN/ChannelAfrica–