Human Rights and Freedom in Central African Republic

https://www.humantruth.info/central_african_republic_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#animism #Central_African_Republic #central_african_republic_freethought #christianity #freethought #islam #religious_tolerance

Central African Republic [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	186th best
Location	Africa
Population	4.7m₁
Life Expectancy	53.89yrs (2017)₂

The Central African Republic is very poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world, and it has cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. The Central African Rep. does better than average for freethought₃, supporting press freedom₄ and in combatting modern slavery₅. But, there's bad news too. The Central African Rep. does worse than average when it comes to LGBT equality in the 2020s₆ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₇. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₈, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₉ (amongst the worst in Africa) and in its average Freedom in the World rating (amongst the worst in Africa). Amidst widespread conflict and loss of control to armed groups, much of the country is insecure, unstable, "and beset by serious human rights violations"₁₀. Violence between Muslim Seleka rebel groups, Christian and animist anti-balaka militias and others continue to fight each other. Cultural issues mean that those who survive sexual violence face many irrational and inhumane barriers to accessing essential services, family planning, and justice ₁₀. The UN estimates in 2017 that over 600,000 refugees have fled, and 2.4 million people (over half the population) need humanitarian assistance ₁₀. Progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 10% hold 46% of the country's entire income₁₁.

1. Central African Republic's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#central_african_republic #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Africa (2025)₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Cape Verde	66.3
2	S. Africa	70.7
3	Mauritius	74.9
	...
16	Tunisia	105.6
17	Sierra Leone	106.3
18	Benin	108.6
19	Central African Rep.	109.1
20	Ivory Coast	110.4
21	Sao Tome & Principe	111.8
22	Tanzania	112.4
23	Kenya	114.0
24	Congo, (Brazzaville)	114.4
	Africa Avg	110.04
q=54.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Sweden	7.8
2	Netherlands	8.7
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
130	Benin	108.6
131	Papua New Guinea	108.8
132	Cambodia	109.0
133	Central African Rep.	109.1
134	Kuwait	109.5
135	Lebanon	109.6
136	Tajikistan	109.9
137	Ivory Coast	110.4
	World Avg	89.80
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₃. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₃.

31 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₃, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₃.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Central African Republic stated:

“Human rights violations and abuses continued in the context of the armed conflict; dozens of civilians were killed during attacks by all parties. Women and girls were subjected to conflict-related sexual violence. The Special Criminal Court held its first trial and convicted three people for crimes against humanity. At least 50% of the population faced food insecurity; in some areas it reached 75%. Several journalists faced intimidation, harassment and threats. The death penalty was abolished.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₄

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₄
Pos.		2025₄
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
68	Chile	62.25
69	Bulgaria	60.78
70	Congo, (Brazzaville)	60.58
71	Central African Rep.	60.15
72	Guyana	60.12
73	Senegal	59.43
74	Comoros	59.27
75	Malawi	59.20
	Africa Avg	52.30
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

The Central African Republic ranks 71st in the world when it comes to supporting press freedom.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₅

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Averages by decade for the Central African Rep. (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
the Central African Rep.:	22.47	64.88
World Rank:	86th	⇣ 115th
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₅
Pos.		Total Per 1000₅
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
74	Zambia	5.10
75=	Mali	5.20
75=	Laos	5.20
75=	Central African Rep.	5.20
75=	Croatia	5.20
79	Cuba	5.40
80=	Iraq	5.50
80=	Poland	5.50
	Africa Avg	6.90
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

The Central African Republic is positioned 75th in the world when it comes to combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₆. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₇, Eritrea₁₇, Indonesia₁₈) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₇, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₁₉.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for the Central African Rep. (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
the Central African Rep.:	22.30	5.20
World Rank:	164th	⇡ 75th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₉
Pos.		2014 Rank₉
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
152	Algeria	152
153	Myanmar	153
154	Venezuela	154
155	Central African Rep.	155
156	Syria	156
157	Iran	157
158	Yemen	158
159	Libya	159
	Africa Avg	114.2
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

The Central African Republic ranks 5th-worst in the world in terms of supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₀

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
197=	Iran	7.0
197=	Myanmar	7.0
197=	Eritrea	7.0
197=	Central African Rep.	7.0
197=	Azerbaijan	7.0
197=	Sudan	7.0
197=	Turkmenistan	7.0
197=	Somalia	7.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

In terms of its average Freedom in the World rating, the Central African Republic ranks last in the world.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for the Central African Rep. (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
the Central African Rep.:	6.9	6.2	4.2	4.9	6.4
World Rank:	157th	⇡ 130th	⇡ 119th	⇣ 145th	⇣ 185th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₈
Pos.		2017 Score₈
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
106=	Russia	-8
106=	Turkmenistan	-8
106=	Algeria	-8
106=	Central African Rep.	-8
110=	Myanmar	-9
110=	Eritrea	-9
110=	Somalia	-9
110=	Libya	-9
	Africa Avg	-5.6
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

The Central African Republic is 9th-worst in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₇
Pos.		2009 Treaties₇
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
137=	Ethiopia	12
137=	Haiti	12
137=	Dominica	12
137=	Central African Rep.	12
137=	Bahrain	12
137=	Israel	12
137=	Angola	12
137=	Suriname	12
	Africa Avg	14.8
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

The Central African Republic is positioned 137th in the world regarding its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
128	Czechia	11.73
129	Malawi	11.77
130	Maldives	11.85
131	Central African Rep.	11.87
132	Thailand	11.89
133	Congo, (Brazzaville)	11.91
134	Moldova	11.99
135	Kyrgyzstan	12.04
	Africa Avg	9.88
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

The Central African Republic is 131st in the world regarding speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
177=	Vanuatu	1980
178	Liechtenstein	1984
179=	Djibouti	1986
179=	Central African Rep.	1986
181	Namibia	1989
182	Samoa	1990
183	Kazakhstan	1993
184=	Moldova	1994
	Africa Avg	1961
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

The Central African Republic comes 9th-worst in the world with regard to the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₆
Pos.		Total Score₆
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
126	Georgia	-1.49
127	Swaziland	-1.51
128	Venezuela	-1.63
129	Central African Rep.	-1.74
130	Lebanon	-1.84
131	China	-1.91
132	Cook Islands	-2.17
133	Antigua & Barbuda	-2.25
	Africa Avg	-3.78
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215.

When it comes to LGBT equality in the 2020s, the Central African Republic ranks 129th in the world.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₂₂. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₂₃. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₂₄. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₂₅_,₂₆. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

In the Central African Republic (CAR), homosexuality is legal, but since 2010 a homophobic law criminalizes public displays of same-sex affection. Same-sex marriage and civil unions are constitutionally banned (since 2016), adoption rights are unclear but effectively unavailable to same-sex couples, and LGBT people cannot serve in the military. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Central African Republic had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇡ Supported the 2008 Declaration at the UN General Assemly affirming LGBTQ rights, tabled by Argentina.
⇡ In 2025, signed the UN Human Rights Council Joint statement on ending acts of violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for the Central African Rep. (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
the Central African Rep.:	0.50	0.50	0.50	1.50	0.10	-1.74
World Rank:	7th	⇣ 13th	⇣ 20th	⇣ 50th	⇣ 100th	⇣ 129th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.2. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₃
Pos.		2021₃
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
55=	Bulgaria	2.5
55=	Ukraine	2.5
55=	Bahamas	2.5
55=	Central African Rep.	2.5
55=	Chile	2.5
55=	Colombia	2.5
55=	Costa Rica	2.5
62=	Austria	2.7
	Africa Avg	3.1
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

The Central African Republic is positioned 44th in the world with regard to freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₂₇. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₂₈. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₂₉ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₃₀. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₃₁. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₃_,₃₂ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₃_,₃₃.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₃₄. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₂₈, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₃₅ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₃₆ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).