BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The top court in the Central African Republic on Friday cleared President Faustin Archange Touadera to run in December’s election, a contest that will unfold amid a deepening security crisis and the leader's growing reliance on Russia for protection.

The Central African Republic's constitutional court approved Touadera's candidacy alongside prominent opposition leader Anicet Georges Dologuélé and five other candidates for the Dec. 28 vote.

The court rejected a recent petition that sought to disqualify Touadera on the grounds of not meeting the criteria for running for the presidency.

Touadera, who has led the country since 2016 and was reelected in 2021, is one of Russia's closest allies in Africa. Central African Republic is one of the first countries in which the Russian mercenary group Wagner established operations with the pledge of fighting rebel groups and restoring peace.

But disagreements around the nature of Russia's military presence in the country have cast a shadow over the Central African Republic's relations with Moscow.

In August, state and military officials told The Associated Press that Russia has called on the country to replace the private Wagner mercenary group with Moscow’s state-run Africa Corps and requested payment for further security services.

The Central African Republic’s government has been reluctant to agree to Russia's demands, because it sees Wagner as more effective and they prefer to pay for services with minerals, not in cash.

For years, Wagner has been protecting Touadera and his government, and helped him win a 2023 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely. In exchange, they’ve enjoyed access to the country’s rich minerals, including gold.

The Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced the president from office. A 2019 peace deal was signed, but six of the 14 armed groups involved in the deal withdrew from it. Wagner is credited for helping prevent the rebels from retaking the capital in 2021.

The validation of Touadera’s candidacy came on the same day the U.N. Security Council extended its peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic for a year.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa