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Central African Republic - US Relations

The U.S. and C.A.R. enjoy generally good relations, although concerns over the pace of political and economic liberalization and human rights have affected the degree of support provided by the U.S. to the country. The U.S. Embassy in Bangui was briefly closed as a result of the 1996-97 mutinies. It reopened in 1998 with limited staff, but U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Peace Corps missions previously operating in Bangui did not return. The American Embassy in Bangui again temporarily suspended operations on November 2, 2002 in response to security concerns raised by the October 2002 launch of Francois Bozize's 2003 military coup.

The Embassy reopened in January 2005 and a resident Ambassador was appointed in June 2007; however, there currently is limited U.S. diplomatic/consular representation in the C.A.R. As a result, the ability of the Embassy to provide services to American citizens remains extremely limited. Restrictions on U.S. aid that were imposed after the 2003 military coup were lifted in 2005.

In international fora, the United States has supported the mandates of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA; formerly the UN Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic--BONUCA) and of the Mission for the Consolidation of Peace in the Central African Republic (MICOPAX) in order to promote stability in C.A.R. Both BINUCA and MICOPAX, while constrained by their small sizes and budgets, have contributed to the pursuit of peace in C.A.R. The U.S. also supports the IPD process, in hopes that the C.A.R. Government, the political opposition, and the armed opposition will be better able to reach peace and move toward security in the countryside and in Bangui.

The U.S. Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against travel to the Central African Republic. Americans in the C.A.R. are urged to exercise caution and maintain security awareness at all times. U.S. citizens who travel to or remain in the Central African Republic and need emergency assistance should contact the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon. Since the United States has a limited diplomatic presence in the Central African Republic, the ability to provide services to U.S. citizens in the C.A.R. is extremely limited.