The Central African Republic

^Pr^ep^ar^{ed f}^o^r^M^e^m^b^ers^an^d^Com^mⁱ^t^t^ees^of^C^ong^r^e^ss

In March 2003, a rebellion led by former Army Chief of Staff Francois Bozize ousted President
Ange Patasse from power. In 2005, the Bozize government organized presidential and legislative
elections. In May 2005, Bozize defeated former Prime Minster Martin Ziguele and his ruling
party won 42 out of the 105 seats in the National Assembly. The Central African Republic (CAR)
has been impacted by the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan and suffers from internal rebellion.
Fighting between rebel groups and government forces has displaced more than 70,000 people in
northeastern CAR. In September 2007, the European Union approved the deployment of a 4,000
man peacekeeping force to Chad and CAR. This report will not be updated.

Backgr ound ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Current Political Situation...............................................................................................................1
Human Rights Conditions...............................................................................................................2
The Darfur Conflict and Impact on CAR........................................................................................3
U.S.-CAR Relations........................................................................................................................4
Author Contact Information............................................................................................................4

The Central African Republic (CAR), a landlocked country of 4.3 million people, became
independent in 1960. David Dacko became the first President under a one-party system. On
December 31, 1965, Dacko was ousted from power in a military coup led by his cousin, Colonel
Jean-Bedel Bokassa. In 1966, Bokassa dissolved the legislature and rescinded the Constitution. In
1972, Bokassa became “Life President” and later named himself “Marshall of the Republic.” In
December 1976, Bokassa renamed the CAR the Central African Empire and later had himself
crowned emperor in a lavish ceremony attended by thousands of guests. Human rights violations
and rumors of bizarre practices helped prepare the way for Bokassa’s 1979 ouster by David
Dacko in a coup backed by French troops. Dacko, in turn, was overthrown in 1981 by General
André Kolingba, whose authoritarian regime lasted until 1993, when elections were held. This
democratic transition followed a long period of unrest, including recurrent strikes and opposition
protests, sparked in part by the country’s economic stagnation. The election was won by Ange
Patassé, who had once served Bokassa as prime minister, but later became a leading opponent of
the former Emperor.

In April and May 1996, the CAR army mutinied; and only the intervention of French troops kept
President Patassé in power. While the mutineers returned to base, the rebellion was by no means
crushed, and a further outbreak occurred in November. The mutinies resulted in part from the
dissatisfaction of soldiers over salary delays, but there was an ethnic dimension as well, since
most of the soldiers were from former President Kolingba’s Yakoma ethnic group, while Patassé
is from another ethnic group, the Sara.
A regional mediation effort followed the November 1996 clashes, but in January 1997, two
French soldiers were assassinated, and heavy fighting broke out between French troops and the
mutineers. Nonetheless, mediation efforts undertaken by the heads of state of Gabon, Burkina
Faso, Chad, and Mali continued, leading to the convening of an all-party conference in Bangui,
the capital, at the end of the month. The Bangui Agreements reached at this conference called,
among other measures, for the establishment of a government of national unity; amnesty for the
mutineers; the disarmament of mutineers, militias, and the civilian population; and the convening
of a National Reconciliation Conference in February 1998.

Meanwhile, several francophone states created Central African Republic in Brief
the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the ^Population:^{4.3 million}
Implementation of the Bangui Agreements
(MISAB), sending in 800 peacekeeping ^{Growth Rate:}^{1.5 % (2}⁰⁰^{7 est.)}
soldiers. This operation was endorsed by the ^Size:^s^{lightly smaller than Texas}
United Nations Security Council. MISAB ^Literacy:^51%
made significant progress in implementing the
disarmament provisions of the Bangui ^Religion:^{indigenous beliefs, 35%}^{; Protestant, 25%;}^{Roman Catholic, 25%; Muslim, 15}^{%; Note: animistic}
Agreements. It also took on general security ^{beliefs strongly influe}^{nce Ch}^{ristian commu}^nity
functions in Bangui in order to suppress a
crime wave. In March 1998, MISAB was ^Eco^nomy:^depe^{ndent on}^su^{bsistence agricult}^ure;^exports^{primarily timber (}^{16%) a}^{nd diamonds (40%), also}
replaced by a stronger United Nations force—^{cotton, coffee.}
the United Nations Mission in the Central
African Republic (MINURCA)—consisting of ^{GDP (purc}^hasing^power^pari^ty):^U.^{S. $4.9 billion}^(U.S^{. $340}^per^{capita). (20}^{06 est.}⁾
nearly 1,400 African troops.
^Sources:^{U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, World}
The National Reconciliation Conference ^{Factbook 200}^7.

concluded on March 5, 1998, with an
agreement among all political parties to accept the ballot box as the only means of taking power,
and to refrain from using the army to destabilize the country. In November 1998, legislative
elections, contested by 29 parties, were held. The Movement for the Liberation of the Central
African People (MLCP) won 47 of the 109 seats in the National Assembly.
In March 2003, a rebellion led by former Army Chief of Staff Francois Bozize ousted President
Patasse from power. Bozize declared himself President, suspended the Constitution, and dissolved
the National Assembly. In December 2004, a new Constitution was approved by referendum. In
March 2005, presidential and legislative elections were held. In May 2005, Bozize defeated
former Prime Minster Martin Ziguele in a second-round election. In the legislative elections,
Bozize’s Convergence Kwa na Kwa party won 42 of the 105 seats in the National Assembly,
while the former ruling MLCP won 11 seats.

Human rights conditions in the Central African Republic are poor, according to human rights
groups. According to the State Department, there were improvements in some areas, although
“the government’s respect for human rights deteriorated overall.” According to the State
Department’s Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2006:
^Rep^o^r^{ts o}^f^ex^tr^aj^u^d^icial^k^illiⁿ^g^{s b}^y^t^h^{e Ce}ⁿ^t^r^a^{l O}^f^fⁱ^ce^f^o^r^th^{e Rep}^r^essioⁿ^o^f^B^aⁿ^d^itr^y
⁽^O^CRB⁾^d^ecr^eased^{, b}^u^{t r}^e^p^o^r^{ts o}^f^th^e^mⁱ^litar^y^kⁱ^l^lin^g^ci^vⁱ^lⁱ^an^sⁱⁿ^cr^eased^sh^ar^p^l^y^d^u^{e to}
^go^ve^rⁿ^me^nt^c^o^uⁿ^t^e^r^o^f^f^eⁿ^si^ve^o^p^e^r^a^tⁱ^o^ns^a^g^aⁱⁿ^s^t^r^e^b^e^l^sⁱⁿ^t^h^eⁿ^o^rt^h^.^A^c^t^s^of^t^o^rt^u^r^{e, beat}ⁱⁿ^gs,
^{rape, an}^{d oth}^e^{r abu}^s^es^of^s^u^s^p^ects^an^{d pris}^on^ers^b^y^s^e^c^u^rit^y^f^o^rces^coⁿ^tⁱⁿ^u^e^{d to be a}
^probl^em^{. I}^m^p^uⁿⁱ^t^y^,^partⁱ^c^u^l^ar^l^y^mⁱ^lⁱ^t^a^r^yⁱ^m^p^uⁿⁱ^t^y^,^w^o^rs^en^e^d^{. C}^oⁿ^dⁱ^tⁱ^onsⁱⁿ^pri^s^oⁿ^{s an}^d
^d^e^ten^tioⁿ^cen^ter^s^r^e^m^aⁱⁿ^ed^h^a^r^s^h^an^d^lif^{e t}^h^r^eatenⁱⁿ^g^.^T^h^e^g^o^v^e^rnm^eⁿ^t^’^s^us^{e of}^arbitrary
^ar^r^e^{st an}^d^d^e^ten^tioⁿⁱⁿ^cr^ease^d^sigⁿ^if^icaⁿ^tl^y^,^p^a^r^ticu^l^ar^l^y^f^o^llo^wⁱⁿ^g^fⁱ^g^h^tin^gⁱⁿ^th^eⁿ^o^r^t^h
^b^e^t^w^eeⁿ^r^e^b^e^{ls an}^d^t^h^e^m^ilita^r^y^,^w^h^ic^h^coⁿ^t^rⁱ^b^u^ted^to^anⁱⁿ^cr^{ease i}ⁿ^p^o^{litical d}^e^tain^ee^s.
^Prol^on^g^e^{d pret}^ri^al^det^eⁿ^tⁱ^oⁿ^,^denⁱ^al^{of a}^f^aⁱ^r^t^rⁱ^a^l^,^aⁿ^{d j}^u^di^ci^al^corru^p^tⁱ^oⁿ^contⁱⁿ^u^e^{d t}^o^be
^problem^s^.^T^h^{e g}^o^v^e^rnm^eⁿ^t^res^t^{ricted f}^r^eedom^of^t^h^{e pres}^s^,^alth^oug^h^to^a^l^e^s^s^e^r^e^x^t^eⁿ^t^th^aⁿⁱⁿ

^th^{e prev}^iou^s^y^{ear. Freedom}^of^m^o^v^e^m^eⁿ^t^deterior^{ated g}^r^eatly^becau^s^e^of^action^s^b^y^s^e^c^u^rity¹
^f^o^rces^{, ar}^m^e^{d ban}^dⁱ^t^s^{, an}^{d rebel}^s^.
According to Human Rights Watch, government security forces routinely target civilians they
suspect of being supporters of rebel groups. According to a September 2007 Human Rights Watch
report “since mid-2005, hundreds of civilians have been killed, more than 10 thousand houses
burned, and approximately 212,000 persons have fled their homes in terror to live in desperate ²
conditions deep in the bush in northern Central African Republic (CAR).” Rebel groups have
also been engaged in human rights abuses against civilians, including beatings, kidnappings for
ransom, and looting. Human rights advocates argue that the civilian population, especially those
in conflict areas and near the border with Sudan, need protection.

The crisis in Darfur continues to affect Chad and the Central African Republic, in large part due
to rebellions supported by the Government of Sudan against the governments of Chad and CAR,
according to officials in the region and human rights groups. Indeed, the conflicts in Chad and
CAR are largely internal political disputes between the respective governments and a number of
armed groups.
In the Central African Republic, the fighting between rebel groups and government forces has
displaced more than 70,000 people in northeastern CAR. Over the past several months, the CAR
government has recaptured towns taken by rebel groups. The CAR armed forces, supported by
French troops and a multinational force from the Central African Economic and Monetary
Community (CEMAC) have largely succeeded in containing rebel advances. Meanwhile,
negotiations between the government of President Francois Bozizé and several rebel groups have
led to some agreements. In February 2007, in negotiations mediated by Libya, two rebel leaders,
Abdoulaye Miskine and André Ringui Le Gaillard, signed an agreement with the CAR
government. However, the agreement was rejected by the military chief of one of the rebel
groups.
The United Nations has been working toward the deployment of a peacekeeping force to Chad
and CAR over the past several months. The United Nations has concluded two technical
assessment missions to Chad and CAR. The mandate of the proposed U.N. multidimensional
presence would include the protection of civilians and internally displaced persons, maintenance
of law and order, the facilitation of the free movement of humanitarian assistance, and
coordination with African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and the U.N. Mission in Sudan
(UNMIS). In August, the United Nations made important adjustments to the proposed
multidimensional force in a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council. Instead of a
United Nations military presence, the European Union (EU) will deploy an estimated 4,000
peacekeeping troops to Chad and CAR. In September 2007, the EU approved the deployment of a
peacekeeping force.

¹^htt^p^://w^ww^.st^a^te^.g^ov^/^g^/drl/^r^ls/hrrpt/²⁰⁰^6/⁷⁸⁷²⁵^.htm^.
²^htt^p^://^hr^w^.^or^g^/^r^e^por^ts^/²⁰⁰^7/^c^a^r^0907/^2.h^t^m^#_T^oc¹⁷⁶⁷⁶⁶⁵^08.

Relations between the United States and CAR are good, although there are areas of serious
concerns. The Bush Administration has expressed concerns about poor human rights conditions
and lack of political and economic reform by the CAR government. In March 2007, at a hearing
before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Africa, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State James Swan stated that CAR “has a history of violence and unrest. It has
experienced four coups, additional failed coup attempts, and many years of undemocratic rule
since its independence in 1960. Rebels, including some members of the political opposition,
emerged in the northwestern part of the country in late 2005. Still other groups with alleged links
to Sudan took over four northeastern towns in October and November 2006.”
The United States closed its embassy in CAR due to security concerns in the mid-1990s and in
2003. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Peace Corps did not
return to CAR after the U.S. embassy closed in 1996-1997 and reopened in 1998. In FY2007, the
United States provided $20 million in humanitarian assistance to CAR.
^T^e^{d D}^a^gne
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