BANGUI, Central African Republic — The nation’s newly elected president, Faustin Archange Touadera, took the oath of office Wednesday, ushering in the first elected leader since Muslim rebels overthrew the government more than three years ago.
Both he and the runner-up candidate, Anicet Georges Dologuele, are Christians and campaigned on promises to bring peace and reforms to the country plagued by sectarian violence that exploded in late 2013 between Muslim and Christian militias.
The Muslim rebel leader who had seized power by force the year before stepped aside under mounting international pressure after his fighters were accused of carrying out scores of atrocities particularly against Christian civilians.
