Trump Continues National Emergency on Central African Republic

President Donald Trump signed a notice on May 4, 2026, continuing the national emergency with respect to the Central African Republic, per the Federal Register notice published May 7.

The national emergency affects the government of the Central African Republic, its officials, and associated entities subject to U.S. sanctions. The original declaration blocked property of persons contributing to the conflict, authorized targeted sanctions, and restricted certain transactions.

The Central African Republic has faced repeated extensions of this emergency since its initial declaration in 2014 under Executive Order 13667, which cited widespread violence, human rights abuses, and threats to regional stability.

The continuation maintains the status quo: all sanctions measures, blocking orders, and related prohibitions remain fully in effect beyond the prior expiration date of May 13, 2026. The new notice takes effect immediately upon publication.

Downstream, the renewal requires the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to continue administering and enforcing the sanctions program without interruption. U.S. persons and companies must sustain due diligence on any dealings involving the Central African Republic to avoid violations that carry civil and criminal penalties.

The State Department retains authority to designate additional individuals or entities under the emergency. Congress receives another annual report on the emergency’s basis and the measures taken.

This marks the latest in a series of annual continuations of the Central African Republic national emergency. The original 2014 order followed the 2013 coup and ensuing sectarian conflict. Successive administrations, including the first Trump administration in 2019 and 2020, have issued identical continuation notices each May to preserve the sanctions framework while the underlying conditions persist.