Published: April 7, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Central African Republic Travel Advisory and Central African Republic Country Information Page.
Embassy & Consulate Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Bangui:
Avenue David Dacko, Bangui. Full address
Tel: +236-75-33-95-33, +236-75-58-05-60; After-hour emergencies: +236-75-11-65-42; Regional Security Office (RSO): +236-75-79-60-50.
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday 0730-1700, Friday 0730-1330.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
The OSAC CAR Country Chapter is no longer active. The U.S. Embassy may re-constitute a council in the future, but that will depend on support from the extremely limited private-sector presence currently in the country.
Contact OSAC’s Africa team with any questions.
Central African Republic Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should not travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) due to armed conflict, crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping as well as the U.S. Embassy’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Bangui as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for CAR, indicating that there may be widespread violent crime and/or organized crime present in the country, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond to serious crimes.
CAR does not have a reliable emergency line to contact Police.
Reliable official statistics on crime are not available for CAR. The Embassy relies on reporting from the United Nations (UN), other embassies/diplomatic missions, and NGOs to obtain limited statistics and reports of crimes.
Crime is a direct result of continued political instability and extreme poverty. When coupled with poor infrastructure, the relatively poor standard of policing, ethnic/religious conflict, and a weak education system, there are few licit economic opportunities for residents. Many individuals turn to criminal gangs and rebel groups to earn a living. As of March 30, 2022, the national curfew (excluding Bangui) is 0000-0500 due to the armed group and criminal activity that plague the country.
Within Bangui, criminals frequently target foreigners for crimes of opportunity due to the perception that they are wealthy, especially during evening hours. Criminals continue to target neighborhoods where government leaders, business professionals, aid workers, and foreign diplomats live, despite an increased security presence. Home and compound invasions occur most often where security is the weakest, where exterior lighting is poor, and/or where there is insufficient access control. Generally, criminals do not kill their victims, but the threat of force or the use of force is not uncommon. Attempts to resist criminals can result in violence. Armed carjackings have happened in Bangui and usually occur during evening hours. Police do form impromptu checkpoints in Bangui to collect bribes. Armed actors can create fake checkpoints in Bangui to collect bribes and impede the work of NGO workers or peacekeeping forces.
Affluent CAR citizens are also targets of violent crime (e.g., home invasion, robbery, aggravated battery, homicide). Criminals view them as relatively easy targets due to the general lack of law enforcement capacity in the country. Sexual assault and domestic violence can go undeterred in CAR, due to the general lack of law enforcement capacity in the country.
There are limited areas in the Bangui city limits that are not considered high crime areas. Assailants rarely face consequence and operate with relative impunity, especially in the PK5 district of Bangui. Outside the capital, NGO staff members and other expatriates are regularly the victims of violent crime. Criminal activity targeting road travelers -- especially armed banditry -- is common, particularly along major transit arteries, including the main routes from Cameroon and Chad to Bangui. Much of this crime is opportunistic rather than directly targeted.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for CAR, indicating that criminal or terrorist individuals or groups have threatened to and/or have seized or detained and threatened to kill, injure, or continue to detain individuals in order to compel a third party (including a governmental organization) to do or abstain from doing something as a condition of release.
Criminal gangs and armed groups employ kidnapping for ransom on a frequent basis, mainly outside of Bangui. Local law enforcement officials are not equipped or trained to counter the threat of kidnapping adequately.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Bangui as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for CAR.
Even though Bangui has been assessed as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests, ineffective border controls may allow criminal and terrorist groups to seek temporary refuge in CAR, but there is no evidence that terrorists train or regularly operate in CAR at this time.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Bangui as being a CRITICAL-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for CAR, indicating that demonstrations, protests, and/or strikes occur frequently, and/or that local law enforcement may have limited ability to respond adequately. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
The CAR government has the capability neither to project force outside the capital city nor to control certain areas within Bangui adequately. Incidents of political, economic, religious, and ethnic violence do occur throughout the country.
The government and other bilateral forces actively control roughly half of the country, with the rest divided amongst a litany of armed groups and factions. In December 2020, armed groups joined together to form the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) in an effort to disrupt elections, and proceeded to conduct attacks before, during, and after national presidential elections in Bangui and elsewhere. Attacks by the CPC on government-aligned forces and civilians persisted throughout 2024. CAR is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in August 2025.
In the event of unrest, airport, land border, and road closures may occur with little or no notice.
Protests & Demonstrations
Demonstrations and protests occur regularly. Gatherings can escalate to violence quickly; rival factions often become aggressive toward one another and toward police. Police often respond in kind, exacerbating already tense situations. Avoid large crowds, public gatherings, or demonstrations, which have the potential to rapidly spiral out of control and may result in serious injury or death. Protests do not usually occur in front of the U.S. Embassy or other diplomatic facilities, though they sometimes occur at or near UN headquarters and other UN facilities.
In the lead up to the August 2025 elections, an increase in demonstrations, both in opposition and support of the current government are expected.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
Harassment of foreign nationals is common. Employees of the UN, NGOs, and humanitarian organizations working in contested areas are often targets of crime and/or suspicion by local residents. On multiple occasions in 2023, violent mobs and protests ensued after the local population (fairly or unfairly) blamed drivers of UN and other vehicles for causing serious accidents in Bangui. Harassment of UN staff is largely in relation to perceived ineffectiveness of operations favoritism of one group over another. Criminals often view non-CAR African nationals and members of NGOs as potential targets for crimes of opportunity due to the perceived affluence of foreigners.
Law Enforcement
CAR does not have a reliable emergency line to contact police.
Police and gendarmes have responsibility for enforcing law and maintaining order. The Central African Armed Forces and the Gendarmerie report to the Ministry of Defense. National Police report to the Ministry of Interior and Public Security. Civilian authorities’ control over the security forces is improving but remains weak. Members of the security forces commit some abuses. State authority beyond the capital has improved with the increased deployment of prefects and troops in provincial capitals. Armed groups, however, still control significant swaths of territory throughout the country and act as de facto governing bodies in those areas, taxing local populations and appointing armed group members to leadership roles.
The CAR National Police and Gendarmerie suffer from limited resources, a lack of training, illiteracy, and weak command/control structures that make basic policing services rudimentary at best. Law enforcement and security services receive pay only irregularly, which encourages corruption and predation on civilians as a source of income.
The U.S. Embassy has received reports that certain law enforcement officers have been perpetrators of crimes. Officers carrying weapons and wearing official police uniforms during the commission of crimes undermines public confidence in law enforcement.
The further one gets from Bangui, the more loosely authorities enforce laws and the more subjectivity they apply them.
Law enforcement officers may make arbitrary arrests based on suspicion rather than actual evidence. The judicial system suffers from a lack of resources; the public perceives it as ineffective regarding the provision of due process. There are few practicing attorneys in the country, especially outside Bangui.
Police Response
There is no central emergency line in CAR. Law enforcement response to public requests for assistance is unpredictable. Do not rely upon law enforcement agencies for security or medical emergencies requiring immediate attention.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Central African Republic, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Central African Republic.
There are numerous instances of corruption in CAR which plays out in the streets with unlawful stops and bribes paid to host nation authorities. There is rampant corruption and lack of transparency in CAR.
Cybersecurity
There is an increasingly strong Russian influence in CAR.
Import/Export Restrictions
Banking infrastructure remains limited, and facilities for monetary exchange exist only in the capital. There are few ATMs in the country. Exchange bureaus and banks normally accept dollars and euros, with the exception of West African Francs (CFA). You cannot use credit cards in CAR; purchases of goods and services, including hotel rooms and airline tickets, are cash transactions.
There have been no reports of issues regarding the use or importation of satellite phones.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
