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The Central African Republic is among the first in Africa to welcome Russia-backed forces, with Moscow seeking to help protect authorities and fight armed groups. Tensions though have grown this year over Moscow’s demand to replace the private Wagner mercenary group with the Russian military unit Africa Corps.

Some 2.4 million voters are registered to vote in Sunday’s national elections, which include the presidential, legislative, regional as well as local elections being held for the first time in decades.

Touadera faces challenges from six candidates, including prominent opposition figures Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Henri-Marie Dondra, both former prime ministers.

Analysts though say Touadera is a clear favorite after consolidating his control of state institutions in recent years.

Backed by Russia, he has hinged his campaign on efforts to achieve peace, stability and economic recovery in the country of about 5.5 million people, .

The landlocked country of about 5.5 million people has been plagued by fighting between pro-government forces and armed groups, particularly since 2013 when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President François Bozizé from office. A 2019 peace deal only partially lessened the fighting, and six of the 14 armed groups that signed it later withdrew from the agreement.

“Our country has suffered greatly from brutal regime changes, a cycle that repeats itself every ten years. I call on the people of the Central African Republic to choose the stability of institutions and a prosperous Central African Republic,� Touadera told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Touadera’s closest challenger is believed to be Dologuele, a candidate in the 2016 and 2020 elections who has promised in his campaigns to “restore a damaged Central African Republic.� His priorities include sustained peace and economic recovery based on agriculture and other key sectors.

“President Touadéra destroyed everything. Our programme is a solid summary to get the country out of poverty. What country is this that produces nothing and exports almost nothing, except beer? We must revive the economy,� he said in a recent interview.

Analysts say the most important factor for voters is the country’s security situation.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, has been present in the country since 2014. It currently has around 14,000 military personnel and 3,000 police members who will help guard election sites.

“Because of the peace deals, United Nations peacekeeping efforts and security support from Wagner and from the Rwandans, the country is in a more secure place than it was during the last electoral cycle in 2020,� according to Lewis Mudge, the Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch.