CEMAC CBDC Tracker

CBDC Information

CBDC Status

Research

Economic Information

GDP

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Regime Information

Freedom Rankings

Cato and Fraser Human Freedom Index:

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Freedom House Index:

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Reporters Without Borders Freedom Index:

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The Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC or Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa) is in the research phase of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) development. The Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (BEAC) requested funding from the International Monetary Fund to research CBDCs in 2025.

The Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale includes Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equitorial Guinea, and Gabon. However, member countries are tracked separately because of the varying projects they are leading. With that said, if the Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest launches a CBDC, then all members will be moved to the launch phase.

CBDC History and Development

In 2022, the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale urged member countries to start researching CBDCs. However, it’s unclear whether member countries have acted on this directive.

In March 2025, the International Monetary Fund reported that the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale requested funding to explore issuing a CBDC.

In May 2026, reports emerged that the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale “is seeking to retain control over the future of digital payments in the CEMAC zone by backing a sovereign digital currency pegged one-to-one to the CFA franc, rather than allowing widespread adoption of dollar-backed private stablecoins.” Central bank governor Yvon Sana Bangui said, “We will have only one parity: one CFA franc, one digital CFA franc, consistent with the existing monetary cooperation framework. This is a matter of monetary sovereignty for the CEMAC zone.”

Human Rights and Civil Liberties Concerns

For additional information on concerns regarding violations of human rights and civil liberties, see the following reports by Amnesty International, Financial Tyranny Index, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Privacy International, the Tyranny Tracker, and the U.S. Department of State. For additional information on concerns regarding the risks of CBDCs, see the following webpage and report by the Cato Institute: The Risks of CBDCs and Central Bank Digital Currency: Assessing the Risks and Dispelling the Myths.

For additional information regarding metrics, the methodology page explains each of the data points and provides their respective sources.

CEMAC - CBDC Tracker