Central African Republic

Is the Central African Republic safe to visit?

No. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary is Level 4, "do not travel", and the UK advises against all travel to the whole country except Bangui, and against all but essential travel to Bangui itself. Armed groups still control or contest areas in the north-west and south-east, kidnapping for ransom is frequent outside the capital, and the roads are among the deadliest anywhere. We score the Central African Republic 26, a little below DR Congo (31) and below Nigeria (35).

There is some good news. The UN says most of the country was relatively stable in the first half of 2026, the president has told two large armed groups, 3R and UPC, to finish dissolving themselves, and 1,331 former fighters were disarmed between July 2025 and 1 June 2026. None of that has made travel outside Bangui safe.

Armed groups and where the fighting is

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks the CAR 150th of 163. The UN Secretary-General's June 2026 report names several groups that remain outside the peace process. Anti-balaka fighters ambush soldiers in the west and centre. In the south-east, the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe (AAKG) militia and the Lord's Resistance Army abduct civilians, including seven children in Haut-Mbomou in April and early May 2026; four officials seized at Bambouti on election day, 28 December 2025, were still held in June. In the north-east, the war in Sudan spills across the border: Sudan's Rapid Support Forces set up a base just over the border from Am Dafok in February 2026.

Clashes between herders and farmers are a further risk in the north-west. The UN counted 103 incidents linked to cattle migration between February and 1 June 2026, with at least 41 deaths. From February to May 2026, UN human rights officers documented 254 abuses by armed groups and 423 violations by state actors, most of them unlawful detention. About 427,000 people are displaced inside the country and about 733,000 live as refugees abroad.

President Faustin-Archange Touadéra began a third term, now seven years, on 30 March 2026, after elections held under the 2023 constitution that removed term limits. Opposition parties and some national observers criticised the process. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says protests can draw a heavy security response and have caused deaths in the past.

Kidnapping, roadblocks and landmines

Outside Bangui the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports frequent killings, looting, kidnapping, carjacking and unlawful detention. Armed groups and bandits set up illegal roadblocks and have attacked travellers at random, burning or stealing vehicles and kidnapping or killing passengers. Government forces, UN peacekeepers, rebels and militias all run checkpoints, and bribe demands are common. Police and armed groups also stop and detain people at will, mostly Central Africans but sometimes foreigners.

The US warns of unmarked landmines anywhere outside Bangui, especially along the border with Cameroon, in the tri-border area with Chad and near Bambari. The FCDO adds that improvised explosive devices have been found in the north-west.

Roads, floods and health care

The WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 37.7 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, higher even than DR Congo (34.9). Outside Bangui there are very few roads, most are unpaved and need four-wheel drive, and many become impassable in the rainy season from May to November. Floods in Bangui are common and have killed people. Carry fuel, food and water on any long journey; help after a crash is likely to be far away.

Health care is very basic, even in Bangui, and strikes have closed hospitals. CDC recommends malaria tablets, cholera is active in Bangui, and yellow fever vaccination is required to enter. The ambulance numbers, 117 and 610600, are unreliable and unlikely to bring help outside the capital, so insurance with air evacuation is essential.

How to stay safe if you must go

• Travel with an organisation that has its own security advice, and use pre-arranged transport with trusted drivers.
• Never travel by road at night, carry ID at all times (the law requires it) and keep vehicle papers on you.
• Do not photograph soldiers, police, government buildings or anything officials may think harms the country's image.
• Bring euros: very few ATMs work, and most hotels do not take foreign cards.

How we scored it

Health (15), conflict (18) and roads (20) are the weakest factors. Natural hazards (58) scores highest, because flooding is the main hazard and rarely the main risk for visitors. Violent crime (30) sits below the band for WHO's modelled homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary of 18.1 because both advisories describe common killings and kidnapping. Confidence is low: the only national homicide figure is from 2016, the road estimate is from 2019, and the UK advice has not been fully updated since the 2025 elections. The weighted average is 26; our cap of conflict plus 35 (53) does not bind.