Relationship dossier
Central African Republic
France
Relationship assessment
A former close partnership marked by military intervention has become strained amid reduced cooperation and France's troop withdrawal.
Central African Republic toward France
-35The Central African government curtailed military cooperation with France amid a political reorientation toward Russia and growing public criticism of French policy. French forces departed in 2022.
France toward Central African Republic
-30France intervened militarily in the Central African Republic in 2013, but suspended some aid and military cooperation in 2021 amid deteriorating relations. French troops left the country in 2022.
Overall relationship
-25The relationship retains the legacy of extensive post-independence ties and French military involvement, but recent friction has substantially weakened the partnership. Suspension of cooperation, the Central African Republic's turn toward Russia, and the departure of French troops are major features of the current bilateral structure.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations between the Central African Republic and France have shifted from a long-standing post-independence partnership to pronounced friction. France intervened militarily in 2013 and maintained a presence until 2022, but cooperation deteriorated amid the Central African government's closer ties with Russia. France suspended some aid and military cooperation in 2021, and French troops subsequently left the country.
Areas of tension
- Central African government criticism of French policy and influence
- Suspension of French aid and military cooperation in 2021
- Central African Republic's closer security ties with Russia
- Departure of French troops in 2022
Key developments
France launched Operation Sangaris in the Central African Republic amid a major security crisis.
France suspended some aid and military cooperation amid deteriorating relations with the Central African government.
French troops departed the Central African Republic as bilateral relations remained strained.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of remaining bilateral cooperation are unclear.
- The durability of the recent diplomatic engagement and any resulting agreements is uncertain.