Corruption in the Central African Republic is tied to underdevelopment, fragmentation, and pervasive poverty in the country. Ranked 149th out of 180 countries on Transparency International's 2022 Corruption Perception Index, the Central African Republic's abundant natural resources have failed to translate into economic prosperity due to a succession of ineffective governments. [1]
David Dacko served as the country’s first president after the Central African Republic officially gained independence from France in 1960. Five years later, he was ousted during the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa. The CAR’s government had since operated according to the personal ambition of Bokassa. He ruled through the assimilation of power, which he justified as necessary for development. He would later establish the Central African Empire, installing himself as the emperor. [2]
Bokassa had ruled the country for a total of eleven years until he was deposed in a 1979 coup. His regime was marked by nepotism, vacillation, and corruption. [1] The state of the country’s affairs may be demonstrated in the reason for the military coup that caused his overthrow. An account cited that aside from corruption, which was one of the officially cited reasons for the coup, there was widespread complaint among junior officers and the rank and file concerning the unequal competition from politicians, who were able to acquire the best mistresses in Bangui. [1]
Bokassa’s regime was also marked by brutal repression of political opposition and severe human rights abuses. For example, he killed his Minister of State, Captain Alexander Banza, after the official led a failed coup. [2] He was brutally mutilated in a public execution. Bokassa also personally participated in the massacre of 100 school children, which was carried out by members of his imperial guard. [3] This incident caused a French military intervention that reestablished the republic. Dacko was reinstated as president after Bokassa fled the country in 1979.
Corruption continued in the Central African Republic after Bokassa’s downfall. Noted cases include charges of widespread corruption and embezzlement of funds under André Kolingba's regime. He was accused of stealing from the national treasury to finance personal expenditures and to maintain his position. [2] His successor, Ange-Félix Patassé, also left a legacy of tribalism due to the alleged ethnic favoritism and tribalism perpetuated by his administration. [4] Corruption was also the main issue François Bozizé faced several military coups. For instance, Bozizé, who came to power in 2003, was implicated in the illegal extraction of natural resources such as diamond and timber. The short term of his successor, Michel Djotodia, was also marred by corruption. His regime was accused of looting state assets in addition to various corrupt practices. [5]
The Central African Republic's (CAR) persistent struggle with corruption, evidenced by numerous scandals since independence, has severely hampered its economic development, political stability, and social fabric. [6] Despite abundant natural resources such as diamonds, gold, and uranium, endemic corruption among political elites and government officials has resulted in a dismal GDP of only $2.52 billion. This figure pales in comparison to the economic performance of Rwanda, a more populous population nation with fewer natural resources, which according to the World Bank, achieved a GDP of $11 billion in 2021. [6]
In order to address corruption, the CAR has adopted several anti-corruption measures. In 2006, the country ratified the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and this has led to the criminalization of acts of corruption. [7] By 2017, the High Authority for Good Governance was also established and it is mandated to promote good governance. In terms of transparency, the current iteration of the CAR’s constitution requires the President, Prime Minister, and government officials to declare their assets. Out of the measures introduced to achieve reform, the CAR still struggles with corruption due to weak constitutional framework for corruption. This may be seen in governance frameworks that criminalize corruption and provide for the equitable and transparent distribution of resources. There is the case of the High Authority for Good Governance. The work of this agency is undermined by the CAR’s weak judiciary, which tend to disregard corruption cases. [6]
The history of the Central African Republic is roughly composed of four distinct periods. The earliest period of settlement began around 10,000 years ago when nomadic people first began to settle, farm and fish in the region. The next period began around 10,000 years prior.
Jean-Bédel Bokassa was a Central African politician and military officer who served as the second president of the Central African Republic (CAR), after seizing power in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état on 1 January 1966. He later established the Central African Empire (CAE) with himself as emperor, reigning as Bokassa I until his overthrow in a 1979 coup.
The Central African Empire was established on 4 December 1976 when the then-President of the Central African Republic, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, declared himself Emperor of Central Africa. The empire would fall less than three years later when French and Central African forces overthrew Bokassa and re-established the Central African Republic on 21 September 1979.
François Bozizé Yangouvonda is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013. He was the only Central African president born in modern-day Gabon.
Ange-Félix Patassé was a Central African politician who was president of the Central African Republic from 1993 until 2003, when he was deposed by the rebel leader François Bozizé in the 2003 coup d'état. Patassé was the first president in the CAR's history to be chosen in what was generally regarded as a fairly democratic election (1993) in that it was brought about by donor pressure on President André Kolingba and assisted by the United Nations Electoral Assistance Unit.
David Dacko was a Central African politician who served as the first President of the Central African Republic from 14 August 1960 to 1 January 1966 and as the third President of the Central African Republic from 21 September 1979 to 1 September 1981. He also served as Prime Minister of the Central African Republic from 1 May 1959 to 14 August 1960. After his second removal from power in a coup d'état led by General André Kolingba, he pursued an active career as an opposition politician and presidential candidate with many loyal supporters; Dacko was an important political figure in the country for over 50 years.
Abel Nguéndé Goumba was a Central African politician. During the late 1950s, he headed the government in the period prior to independence from France, and following independence he was an unsuccessful candidate for President of the Central African Republic four times. Goumba, who was President of the Patriotic Front for Progress (FPP) political party, served under President François Bozizé as Prime Minister from March 2003 to December 2003 and then as Vice President of the Central African Republic from December 2003 to March 2005. Subsequently, he was appointed to the official post of Ombudsman.
André-Dieudonné Kolingba was a Central African politician, who was the fourth President of the Central African Republic (CAR), from 1 September 1981 until 1 October 1993. He took power from President David Dacko in a bloodless coup d'état in 1981 and lost power to Ange-Félix Patassé in a democratic election held in 1993. Kolingba retained the strong support of France until the end of the Cold War in 1992, after which both internal and external pressure forced him to hold presidential elections which he lost.
Henri Maïdou is a Central African retired politician who served as Prime Minister of the Central African Empire from 14 July 1978 to 26 September 1979, and Vice President of the Central African Republic in the cabinet of David Dacko from 26 September 1979 to 22 August 1980.
The Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa was a political party in the Central African Republic. In its original form, it was a nationalist party that sought to affirm black humanity and advocated for the independence of Ubangi-Shari, then a French colonial territory.
The Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état was a coup d'état staged by Jean-Bédel Bokassa, commander-in-chief of the Central African Republic (CAR) army, and his officers against the government of President David Dacko on 31 December 1965 and 1 January 1966. Dacko, Bokassa's cousin, took over the country in 1960, and Bokassa, an officer in the French army, joined the CAR army in 1962. By 1965, the country was in turmoil—plagued by corruption and slow economic growth, while its borders were breached by rebels from neighboring countries. Dacko obtained financial aid from the People's Republic of China, but despite this support, the country's problems persisted. Bokassa made plans to take over the government; Dacko was made aware of this, and attempted to counter by forming the gendarmerie headed by Jean Izamo, who quickly became Dacko's closest adviser.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexandre Banza was a military officer and politician in the Central African Republic. Born in Carnot, Ubangi-Shari, Banza served with the French Army during the First Indochina War before joining the Central African Armed Forces. As commander of the Camp Kassaï military base in 1965, Banza helped Jean-Bédel Bokassa overthrow the government of President David Dacko. Bokassa rewarded Banza by appointing him as minister of state and minister of finance in the new government. Banza quickly established the new regime's reputation abroad and forged diplomatic relations with other countries. In 1967, Bokassa and his protégé had a major argument over the president's extravagances. In April 1968, Bokassa removed Banza as minister of finance. Recognizing Bokassa's attempts to undermine him, Banza made a number of remarks highly critical of the president's handling of the government. Bokassa responded by abolishing the minister of state position.
Jean-Henri Izamo was the head of the gendarmerie of the Central African Republic. He was killed following the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état.
Emperor of Central Africa was the title used by Jean-Bédel Bokassa from 4 December 1976 until his deposal in a French coup in September 1979. Bokassa, who had already ruled the Central African Republic (CAR) as a military dictator since taking power in the 1966 coup d'état, was officially crowned on 4 December 1977 in a lavish ceremony that was estimated to cost the Central African Empire US$20 million. Although nominally a constitutional monarch, in practice Bokassa ruled with absolute power. For all intents and purposes, the country was still a military dictatorship, as had been the case with the CAR.
Operation Caban was a bloodless military operation by the French intelligence service SDECE in September 1979 to depose Emperor Bokassa I, reinstate the exiled former president David Dacko, and rename the Central African Empire back to Central African Republic.
Central African Republic–France relations are foreign relations between the Central African Republic (CAR) and France. Both nations are members of the Francophonie and the United Nations.
Marie-Reine Hassen, is an economist, diplomat and politician from the Central African Republic. She was one of the 17 wives of Jean-Bédel Bokassa, CAR dictator. She was a goodwill ambassador in Senegal from 2003 to 2006, Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2007, Minister Delegate for the Economy, Planning and International Cooperation from 2007 to 2008, and then Minister Delegate for Regional Development from 2008 to 2009. She founded the Movement for Rallying and Change. She was a candidate for her country's 2010 presidential election.
Sylvestre Bangui was a Central African general, diplomat and politician. He rose amongst the ranks of the Central African Armed Forces to become a general, and was away for military training when Jean-Bédel Bokassa carried out his coup d'état in 1965. Bokassa appointed him as an ambassador, first to Canada and then to France. In 1979, he carried out a press conference where he denounced his government for carrying out a massacre of children, resigned and formed an opposition group. After Bokassa's deposition, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1979 and 1980. He also served as the Minister of Economy and Finance in 1983 and 1984.
