A fire has destroyed part of the Central African Republic’s National Elections Authority (ANE) data processing centre in Bangui, just weeks before the country is due to hold outstanding legislative and local elections.
The fire broke out overnight from Friday, September 18, into Saturday, September 19, 2026, after staff had already left the main building. Firefighters, MINUSCA peacekeepers and civil protection teams worked together to bring the blaze under control.
The incident caused extensive damage to the building and electoral equipment. The roof was largely destroyed, while several walls were blackened and cracked. Offices, rooms, equipment and electoral archives were also damaged.
ANE President Mathias Barthélemy Morouba said the fire destroyed a large amount of equipment, including electoral archives, the room used to print voter lists, printers, scanners and about 70 new computers.
“All the ANE archives, the room where voter lists were printed, printers, scanners and about 70 new computers were destroyed by the fire. Fortunately, we managed to save the server containing the electoral database,” Morouba said.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Initial reports have pointed to a possible electrical short circuit, while other possibilities have also been raised. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine what caused the fire and whether anyone was responsible.
The incident comes at a critical point in the Central African Republic’s electoral process. The ANE has confirmed that the outstanding elections are scheduled for October 25, 2026, following a change to the electoral calendar.
Despite the extent of the damage, Morouba said the fire would not prevent the elections from taking place as scheduled, because the electoral database stored on the server was preserved.
“The elections will take place on October 25. The information was saved on the server, so we can prepare the elections without major problems.”
The fire is the second such incident affecting the ANE facility within six months, according to reports. The repeated incidents have raised questions about the safety of the institution’s buildings, equipment and electoral materials.
The ANE will now have to assess the full extent of the damage and determine how quickly essential equipment and facilities can be restored ahead of the October 25 vote.
KIGALI TIMES