Central African Republic
 

13 Jul 1894 - 1 Dec 1958

Adopted 1 Dec 1958

Map of Central African Republic Hear National Anthem "La Renaissance" (The Rebirth) Text of National Anthem Adopted 1960 Constitution (27 Dec 2004; in French) Capital: Bangui (Haut-Oubangui : Abiras 1894-1906; Fort-de -Possel 11 Feb-11 Dec 1906; Haut-Chari: Fort Crampel 1900-1940) Currency:  Communauté Financière Africaine Franc (XAF) National Holiday: 1 Dec (1958) Republic Day Population: 4,444,330 (2008) GDP: $3.23 billion (2008)  Exports: $146 million (2007) Imports: $237 million (2007) Ethnic groups: Baya (Gbaya) 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, Ngbaka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2% (2004)  Total Active Armed Forces: 2,550 (2006) French Troops: 200 (2008) Merchant marine: None (2008) Religions: Roman Catholic 18.4%, indigenous beliefs 15.4%, Protestant 14.4%, African Christian 11.6%, other Christian 23.4%, Suuni Muslim 15.6%, other 1.2% (2000) note: animistic beliefs strongly influence Christian majority  International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfDB, APM, AU, BDEAC, BTWC (signatory), CEEAC, CEMAC, CEN-SAD, CTBT (signatory), CWC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, NTBT, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCLOS (signatory), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Central African Republic Index Chronology  9 Dec 1891                Haut-Oubangui (Upper Ubangi) region                              within French Congo (see Congo [Brazzaville]). 1892 - 1895                Ubangui-Bomu Territory claimed by the Congo                              Free State. 13 Jul 1894                Haut-Oubangui colony (autonomy suppresed                               10 Dec 1899 - 29 Dec 1903).  5 Sep 1900                Haut-Chari region within French Congo. 29 Dec 1903                Oubangui-Chari (Ubangi-Shari) a unified colony. 11 Feb 1906                Oubangui-Chari territory, part of                               Oubangui-Chari-Tchad colony. 15 Jan 1910                Oubangui-Chari, Middle Congo (now Congo                              [Brazzaville]), Gabon, and Chad form                               French Equatorial Africa [AEF]                              [see Congo (Brazzaville]). 12 Apr 1916                Oubangui-Chari colony (Oubangui-Chari-Tchad colony                              dissolved). 30 Jun 1934                Oubangui-Chari Region of French Equatorial Africa                               (part of AEF colony). 31 Dec 1937                Oubangui-Chari overseas territory (part                               of AEF colony). 16 Jun 1940 - 29 Aug 1940  Administration loyal Vichy France                               (from 29 Aug 1940, under Free French). 27 Oct 1946                Oubangui-Chari overseas territory of France.                              (still part of AEF colony).  1 Dec 1958                Central African Republic (autonomy). 13 Aug 1960                Independence from France.  4 Dec 1976 - 20 Sep 1979  Central African Empire (Empire Centrafricain). Traditional States Ubangui-Bomu (1892-1895) Historical maps of Central African Republic

Haut-Oubangui

Delegate of the Commissioner general of Oubangui
25 Sep 1890 -  9 Apr 1891  Paul Crampel                       (b. 1864 - d. 1891)
Delegates of the Commissioner general and Director of Haut-Oubangui
 9 Aug 1890 -  1 Jan 1892  Edmond Ponel
                             (Station Chief in charge of Haut-Oubangui zone)
 1 Jan 1892 – 13 Jul 1894  Victor Liotard                     (b. 1858 - d. 1916)
Commandants supérieurs
13 Jul 1894 – 22 Aug 1894  Parfait-Louis Monteil              (b. 1855 - d. 1925)
                             (did not take office)
22 Aug 1894 - 22 Feb 1895  Eugène Louis Frédéric Decazes      (b. 1844 - d. 1913)
                             (acting)
22 Feb 1895 - 1895         Leonce Ditte (acting)
Commissioner of the government
1895 - 27 Sep 1897         Victor Liotard                     (s.a.)
Lieutenant governor
27 Sep 1897 - May 1898     Victor Liotard                     (s.a.)
Commmandant-delegate
May 1898 - 18 Jun 1899     Adolphe Louis Cureau               (b. 1864 - d. 1913)
Delegate of the Commissioner general
18 Jun 1899 - 10 Dec 1899  Henry                              (d. 1899)
Chefs de Province
10 Dec 1899 – 31 Dec 1900  Henri Bobichon                     (b. 1866 – d. 1939)
31 Dec 1900 - 1902         Pierre Prins                       (b. 1870 - d. 19..)
1902 - 31 Mar 1903         Lucien Schneider                   (b. 1868 - d. 1903)
c.Apr 1903 - Oct 1904      Dic

Haut-Chari

Commissioners of the government of Haut-Chari
Aug 1899 - c.Mar 1901      Émile Gentil                       (b. 1866 - d. 1914)
c.Mar 1901 - c.Dec 1902    Georges Matthieu Destenave         (b. 1854 - d. 1928)
                             (acting to July 1901)
Commandant
Dec 1902 - 11 Jul 1904     Georges-Gilbert Bruel              (b. 1871 - d. 1944)

Oubangui-Chari and Central African Republic

Lieutenant governor
1903 - May 1904            Adolphe Louis Cureau               (b. 1864 - d. 1913)
Governors-delegate
May 1904 - 22 Aug 1905     Alphonse Iaeck (acting)
22 Aug 1905 - 16 Feb 1906  Victor Emmanuel Merlet (acting)
16 Feb 1906 -  4 Apr 1906  Louis Paul Émile Lamy
Lieutenant governors
 4 Apr 1906 - 28 Feb 1909  Émile Joseph Merwart               (b. 1869 - d. 1960)
1908                       Léon Herménégilde Maran            (b. 1864 - d. 19..)
                             (acting for Merwart)
28 Feb 1909 -  5 Aug 1910  Lucien Louis Fourneau (acting)     (b. 1867 - d. 1930)
 5 Aug 1910 - 10 Jun 1911  Paul Pierre Marie Georges Adam     (b. 1865 - d. 1916)
                             (1st time)(acting)
10 Jun 1911 - 24 Nov 1913  Frédéric Estèbe                    (b. 1863 - d. 1936)
24 Nov 1913 - 12 Oct 1916  Paul Pierre Marie Georges Adam     (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)(acting)
12 Oct 1916 - 17 Jul 1917  Victor Emmanuel Merlet 
17 Jul 1917 - 26 Sep 1929  Auguste Lamblin (1st time)         (b. 1870 - d. 1946)
                             (acting to 16 May 1919)
31 Aug 1920 - Dec 1921     Alphonse Diret (acting for Lamblin)(b. 1872 - d. 1973)
17 Aug 1923 - Nov 1924     Pierre Claude Emmanuel François    (b. 1869 - d. 1933)
                             (acting for Lamblin)
 1 Jul 1926 - Jul 1928     Georges David Pierre Marie
                             Prouteaux (acting for Lamblin)
22 Oct 1929 - 30 Oct 1930  Georges David Pierre Marie 
                             Prouteaux (acting)
30 Oct 1930 - 17 Aug 1934  Adolphe Deitte                     (b. 1879 - d. 1949)
 8 Mar 1933 - Feb 1934     Pierre Simon Antonin Bonnefont 
                             (acting for Deitte)
Governors-delegate
17 Aug 1934 - 21 May 1935  Adolphe Deitte                     (s.a.)
21 May 1935 - 30 May 1936  Richard Edmond Maurice Édouard     (b. 1883 - d. 1958)
                             Brunot
1936                       Louis de Poyen-Bellisle            (d. 1937)
                             (acting for Brunot)
30 May 1936 - 23 Oct 1936  Pierre Simon Antonin Bonnefont 
                             (acting)
23 Oct 1936 - 24 Oct 1936  Émile Buhot-Launay (acting)        (b. 1881 - d. 1970)
24 Oct 1936 - 31 Dec 1937  Max de Masson de Saint-Félix       (d. 1939)
Governors
31 Dec 1937 - 28 Mar 1939  Max de Masson de Saint-Félix       (s.a.)
28 Mar 1939 - 21 Feb 1941  Pierre de Saint-Mart (acting)      (b. 1885 - d. 1965) 
Chefs de territoire
21 Feb 1941 - 30 May 1942  Pierre de Saint-Mart               (s.a.) 
                             (acting to 15 Jul 1941)
30 May 1942 - 30 Jul 1942  André Jean Gaston Latrille         (b. 1894 - d. 1987)
30 Jul 1942 -  3 Apr 1946  Henri Camille Sautot               (b. 1885 - d. 1963)
 3 Apr 1946 - 25 Apr 1948  Jean Victor Louis Joseph Chalvet   (b. 1893 - d. 1975)
24 May 1946 - Oct 1946     Henri Lacour (acting for Chalvet)  (b. 1897 - d. 1960)
25 Apr 1948 -  1 Dec 1948  Jean Mauberna (acting)             (b. 1904 - d. 1983)
 1 Dec 1948 - 27 Jan 1949  Auguste Léon Valentin Éven         (b. 1897 - d. 1980)
                             (1st time) (acting)
27 Jan 1949 -  4 Jan 1950  Pierre Jean Marie Delteil          (b. 1907 - d. 2002)
 4 Jan 1950 -  1 Mar 1950  Auguste Léon Valentin Éven         (s.a.)
                             (2nd time) (acting)
 1 Mar 1950 -  9 Jul 1951  Ignace Jean Aristide Colombani     (b. 1908 - d. 1988)
 9 Jul 1951 - 19 Oct 1951  Pierre Jean Raynier (acting)       (b. 1904 - d. 1979)
19 Oct 1951 - 31 Mar 1954  Aimé Marius Louis Grimald          (b. 1903 - d. 2000)
31 Mar 1954 - 29 Jan 1958  Louis Marius Pascal Sanmarco       (b. 1912 - d. 2009)
                             (acting to 2 Dec 1954)
29 Jan 1958 -  9 Jan 1959  Paul Camille Bordier               (b. 1921 - d. 2003)
High Commissioner
 9 Jan 1959 - 13 Aug 1960  Paul Camille Bordier               (s.a.)
Presidents 
14 Aug 1960 -  1 Jan 1966  David Dacko (1st time)             (b. 1930 - d. 2003)  MESAN
                             (acting to 12 Nov 1960)
 1 Jan 1966 -  4 Dec 1976  Jean-Bédel Bokassa                 (b. 1921 - d. 1996) Mil/MESAN
                             (from 17 Oct 1976, Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa)
Emperor¹ 
 4 Dec 1976 - 20 Sep 1979  Bokassa I                          (s.a.)               MESAN
Presidents
20 Sep 1979 -  1 Sep 1981  David Dacko (2nd time)             (s.a.)            MESAN;1980 UDC
 1 Sep 1981 - 22 Oct 1993  André-Dieudonné Kolingba           (b. 1936)          Mil;1985 RDC
                            (chairman Military Committee of National
                             Recovery to 21 Sep 1985)
22 Oct 1993 - 15 Mar 2003  Ange-Félix Patassé                 (b. 1937)            MLPC 
15 Mar 2003 -              François Bozizé Yangouvonda        (b. 1946)          Mil/Non-party

 

Vice President of the Government Council

14 May 1957 - 26 Jul 1958  Abel Nguéndé Goumba                (b. 1926 - d. 2009)  MESAN

President of the Government Council

26 Jul 1958 -  1 Dec 1958  Abel Nguéndé Goumba                (s.a.)               MESAN

Presidents of the Government 

 1 Dec 1958 - 29 Mar 1959  Barthélemy Boganda                 (b. 1910 - d. 1959)  MESAN

                             (provisional to 16 Feb 1959)

30 Mar 1959 - 30 Apr 1959  Abel Nguéndé Goumba (1st time)     (s.a.)               MESAN

 1 May 1959 -  1 Jan 1966  David Dacko                        (s.a.)               MESAN

 4 Jan 1966 -  4 Sep 1976  Jean-Bédel Bokassa                 (s.a.)               MESAN

Prime minister (subordindated to president of the government)

 6 Jun 1974 -  4 Apr 1976  Elisabeth Domitien (f)             (b. 1925 - d. 2005)  MESAN

President of the Council of the Central African Revolution

 4 Sep 1976 -  7 Dec 1976  Jean-Bédel Bokassa                 (s.a.)               MESAN 

Prime ministers 

 7 Dec 1976 - 14 Jul 1978  Ange-Félix Patassé                 (s.a.)               MESAN

14 Jul 1978 - 24 Sep 1979  Henri Maïdou                       (b. 1936)            MESAN

24 Sep 1979 - 22 Aug 1980  Bernard-Christian Ayandho          (b. 1930 - d. 1993)MESAN;1980UDC

 1 Sep 1980 -  3 Apr 1981  Jean-Pierre Lebouder               (b. 1944)            UDC

                             (acting to 12 Nov 1980)

 3 Apr 1981 -  1 Sep 1981  Simon-Narcisse Bozanga             (b. 1942)            UDC

 1 Sep 1981 - 15 Mar 1991  André-Dieudonné Kolingba           (s.a.)              Mil;1985 RDC

                             (chief of government to 15 Jan 1991)

15 Mar 1991 -  4 Dec 1992  Edouard Frank                      (b. 1938?)           RDC

 4 Dec 1992 - 26 Feb 1993  Timothée Malendoma                 (b. 1935)            FC

26 Feb 1993 - 24 Oct 1993  Enoch Dérant Lakoué                (b. 1945)            PSD

24 Oct 1993 - 12 Apr 1995  Jean-Luc Mandaba                   (b. 1943 - d. 2000)  MLPC

12 Apr 1995 - 11 Jun 1996  Jean Edouard Gabriel Koyambounou   (b. 1947)            MLPC

11 Jun 1996 - 30 Jan 1997  Jean-Paul Ngoupandé                (b. 1948)            PUN

30 Jan 1997 -  4 Jan 1999  Michel Gbezera-Bria                (b. 1946)            Non-party

 4 Jan 1999 -  1 Apr 2001  Anicet-Georges Dologuélé           (b. 1957)            MLPC

 1 Apr 2001 - 15 Mar 2003  Martin Ziguélé                     (b. 1957)            MLPC

23 Mar 2003 - 12 Dec 2003  Abel Nguéndé Goumba (2nd time)     (s.a.)               FPP

12 Dec 2003 - 11 Jun 2005  Célestin Leroy Gaombalet           (b. 1941?)           Non-party

11 Jun 2005 - 22 Jan 2008  Élie Doté                          (b. 1948)            Non-party

22 Jan 2008 -              Faustin-Archange Touadéra          (b. 1957)            Non-party

 

Territorial Disputes: Periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist.

Commandant Supérieurs du Territoire de l’Ubangi-Bomu
(subordinated to the Governors-general of Congo Free State)
1892 - 1893                Georges Le Marinel (1st time)
1893 – 23 Apr 1893         Balat                              (d. 1893)
23 Apr 1893 - Sep 1893     Leon Hanolet                       (b. 1859 – d. 1908)
Sep 1893-Dec 1894/Jan 1895 Georges Le Marinel (2nd time)