The Central African Republic (CAR) has diplomatic relations with 116 out of the 193 United Nations member states.
The country's attempts at an open policy towards neighbouring countries have been strained due to the long-standing civil war as well as broader regional conflicts such as reoccurring tensions between Chad and Sudan. In the 2010s, France maintained a military presence in the country. This was largely halted in 2016. The last French troops left in 2022 after relations with France soured due to the country's increasing ties to Russia under Faustin-Archange Touadéra. Since 2018, the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, has carried out operations in the CAR.
The Central African Republic is an active member in several Central African organizations, including the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). It is also a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Standardization of tax, customs, and security arrangements between the Central African states is a major foreign policy objective of the CAR government. The CAR is a participant in the Community of SahelâÂÂSaharan States (CEN-SAD), and the African Union (AU). Additionally, it is a member of the Francophonie and an observer state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Other multilateral organizationsâÂÂincluding the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations agencies, European Union, and the African Development BankâÂÂand bilateral donorsâÂÂincluding the Republic of Korea, Germany, Japan, the European Union, and the United StatesâÂÂare significant development partners for the CAR.
List of countries which the Central African Republic maintains diplomatic relations with:
Sixteen countries have resident diplomatic representatives in Bangui, and the CAR maintains approximately nineteen missions abroad. The countries the CAR maintains bilateral relations with include the following: