Central african republic biography

Stone tools indicate human habitation for at least eight thousand years. Megaliths near Bouar are at least 2, years old. Between about B. During the same period, a much smaller number of Bantu -speaking immigrants settled in southwestern CAR and some Central Sudanic-speaking populations settled along the Oubangi River. A minority speak Central Sudanic languages of the Nilo-Saharan family.

More recent immigrants include many Muslim merchants who most often speak Arabic or Hausa. Until the early s, the peoples of the CAR lived beyond the expanding Islamic frontier in the Sudanic zone of Africa and thus had relatively little contact with Abrahamic religions or northern economies. During the first decades of the nineteenth century, however, Muslim traders began increasingly to penetrate the region of the CAR and to cultivate special relations with local leaders in order to facilitate their trade and settlement in the region.

The initial arrival of Muslim traders in the early s was relatively peaceful and depended upon the support of local peoples, but after aboutslave traders with well-armed soldiers began to penetrate the region. Between c. European penetration of Central African territory began in the late nineteenth century. Count Savorgnan de Brazza took the lead in establishing the French Congo with headquarters in the city central african republic biography after him, Brazzaville and sent expeditions up the Ubangi River in an effort to expand French territorial claims.

Then, inthe French Congo's border with Sudan was fixed along the Congo-Nile watershed, leaving France without its much-coveted outlet on the Nile and turning southeastern Ubangi-Shari into a cul-de-sac. Once the borders were set, France had to decide how to pay for the costly occupation, administration, and development of the territory. The reported financial successes of Leopold II's concessionary companies in the Congo Free State convinced the French government in to grant 17 private companies large concessions in the Ubangi-Shari region.

In return for the right to exploit these lands by buying local products and selling European goods, the companies promised to pay rent to the colonial state and to promote the development of their concessions. The companies employed European and African agents who frequently used extremely brutal and atrocious methods to force Central Africans to work for them.

At the same time, the French colonial administration began to force Central Africans to pay taxes and to provide the state with free labor. The companies and French administration often collaborated in their efforts to force Central Africans to work for their benefit, but they also often found themselves at odds. Some French officials reported abuses committed by private company militias and even by their own colonial colleagues and troops, but efforts to bring these criminals to justice most often failed.

When news of terrible atrocities committed against Central Africans by concessionary company employees and colonial officials or troops reached France and caused an outcry, there were investigations and some feeble attempts at reform, but the situation on the ground in Ubangi-Shari remained essentially the same. In the meantime, during the first decade of French colonial rule c.

They took advantage of their treaties with the French to procure more weapons, which were used to capture more slaves. Much of the eastern half of Ubangi-Shari was depopulated as a result of the export of Central Africans by local rulers during the first decade of colonial rule. During the second decade of colonial rule c. Inthe Sangha and Lobaye basins were ceded to Germany as part of an agreement giving France a free hand in Moroccoso western Ubangi-Shari came under German rule until World War Iduring which France reconquered this territory using Central African troops.

The third decade of colonial rule was a transition period during which a network of roads was built, cash crops were promoted, mobile health services were created to combat sleeping sickness, and Protestant missions established stations in different parts of the country. New forms of central african republic biography labor were also introduced, however, as the French conscripted large numbers of Ubangians to work on the Congo-Ocean Railway.

Many of these recruits died of exhaustion and illness. In a major insurrection, the Kongo-Wara 'war of the hoe handle' broke out in western Ubangi-Shari and continued for several years. The extent of this insurrection, perhaps the largest anti-colonial rebellion in Africa during these years, was carefully hidden from the French public because it provided evidence, once again, of strong opposition to French colonial rule and forced labor.

During the fourth decade of colonial rule c. Several cotton companies were granted purchasing monopolies over large areas of cotton production and were thus able to fix the prices paid to cultivators in order to assure profits for their shareholders. Europeans established coffee plantations and Central Africans also began to cultivate coffee.

The fifth decade of colonial rule c. Inthe inhabitants of French Africa were given the status of citizens. Batthelemy Boganda, a charismatic Catholic priest, was the first representative in the French National Assembly. Some degree of self-government was granted in On August 13,the Central African Republic gained its independence. With the backing of the French, David Dacko took power and by had established a repressive one-party state.

On December 31,Dacko was overthrown by Col. Michel Djotodia, the coup leader, assumed power, suspended the constitution, and dissolved parliament. In mid-April he created a transitional national council that named him interim president. He was sworn in as head of state in August and promised to hold free and fair elections within 18 months.

The African Union suspended the country in response to the coup, and refused to recognize Djotodia as president. Djotodia was not able to stem the violence in the country, and CAR spiralled into chaos. Seleka rebels terrorized civilians, and Christian opponents formed their own militias to retaliate and defend themselves and were equally as brutal to Muslims.

About 1 million people, in a country of 5 million, fled their homes. Many of those fleeing were farmers and herders, and officials feared that their absence would lead to famine. In October, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the country had experienced "total breakdown of law and order," and he authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force.

In December, the African Union said it would increase the size of its force there from 3, troops to 6, France deployed 1, soldiers to CAR, a former colony of France. Many feared that CAR was on the brink of experiencing a genocide. In Aprilthe UN authorized a force of 12, peace-keeping troops.

Central african republic biography: This discussion focuses on

They were deployed to CAR in September. At the urging of regional leaders, Djotodia resigned in January for his failure to stem the escalating violence between Christians and Muslims that left the country in tatters. In January, the member national transitional council elected Catherine Samba-Panza, an insurance broker and the mayor of the capital, Bangui, as interim president.

She will serve for one year until elections are held in January She will not run in the elections. Both the interim president and prime minister are Christians. Gide's revelations lead to improvements in social conditions. And by the time of World War II French investment is also proving more profitable, particularly in the export of gold and diamonds from the southern region, Ubangi-Shari.

From the territory has been separated into two colonies, Ubangi-Shari and Chad, within the broader French equatorial africa. Each sends its own deputies to Paris from In both opt to remain within the French Community after the dissolution of French equatorial africa. In a line seems to be drawn beneath Chad's long dispute with Libya, when the Libyan president Moamar al-Gaddafi pays a state visit to his relatively impoverished southern neighbour.

But Chad does also have potentially the same source of wealth as Libya - oil. At the end of the century the economic prospects are much improved by a plan to carry the nation's extensive oil supplies by pipeline through Cameroon to the Atlantic port of Kribi.

Central african republic biography: The history of the

The project, if implemented, will make Chad the fourth largest African exporter of oil. Boganda hopes that the new nation will comprise the whole of French equatorial africabut Chad, Gabon and the republic of Congo reject his proposals for union. He therefore accepts the proposed French constitution for the Central African Republic on its own. Proceedings 62nd Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting.

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Central african republic biography: After gaining independence from

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