African Kingdoms

Central African Republic (Africa)
AD 1960 - 1976

Central African States All African States All Modern States Early Africa (Intro) Egypt

The history of Africa can at times be difficult to uncover. Central Africa was poorly defined as a region until the creation of the European colonial-era territories, with only the Bornu empire to the north impinging upon a poorly-settled region. France's interest in Central Africa was formalised in the late nineteenth century.

France on 15 January 1910 formed the 'Federation of French Colonies' out of all a number of its Central African colonial possessions. General reorganisation in 1934 recreated this as the greater 'French Colony', which oversaw various regional colonial efforts.

These incorporated territory which would eventually form modern Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Chad, although the latter was not organised as a separate entity until 1920. Also added were Ubangi-Shari, a manufactured territory which was controlled by France from 1894. France gained the sultanates of Dar al-Kuti in 1911, Bangassou in 1917, Zémio in 1923, and Rafaï in 1939, all of which are now within Central African Republic.

During the inter-war years and immediately prior to the First World War the region was exploited ruthlessly for its resources, akin to a modern company being asset-stripped. The natives fared badly, suffering from European diseases against which they had little inbuilt resistance, along with malnutrition and deaths due to poor conditions in forced labour teams.

Following the Second World War, however, things changed greatly. Colonial empires could no longer be maintained and were viewed more as unwanted hindrances as Europe attempted to rebuild. The French colony was dissolved in 1958 as it became autonomous instead of being subject to direct French administration.

Full independence was achieved in 1960, with the aforementioned sultanates forming the backbone of a new state by the name of Central African Republic. That republic was short-lived, though. Control of the republic was effectively seized in 1966 by Jean Bedel Bokassa. Just a decade later he had himself declared emperor and the republic became his own Central African Empire.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Richard A Bradshaw and Juan Fandos-Rius, from Culture and Customs of the Central African Republic, Jacqueline Woodfrok (Greenwood Press, 2006), from Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic, Pierre Kalck (Third Ed, Scarecrow Press 2005), from The Value of Disorder: Autonomy, Prosperity, and Plunder in the Chadian Sahara, Julien Brachet & Judith Scheele (Cambridge University Press, 2019), from Histoire militaire des colonies, pays de protectorat et pays sous mandat. 7 (Histoire militaire de l'Afrique équatoriale française, 1931, in French), and from External Links: BBC Country Profiles, and Bokassa's ruined palace in CAR (BBC), and Bokassa Successor Says Dictator Killed Children in April Massacre (The New York Times), and French Equatorial Africa (World Statesmen).)

1958 - 1960

French high commissioner for Ubangi-Shari (CAR).

1958 - 1960

'French Equatorial Africa' is dissolved as the republics become autonomous. Full independence from France is achieved in 1960. Ubangi-Shari, which had been a colonial creation and which consists of territory between the Ubangi and Chari rivers, forms the core of the new state of Central African Republic (or CAR).

1960 - 1965

First elected president, evolving into a dictator.

1960 - 1962

David Dacko, first president of the independent republic, has been busy forcing out his political rivals. By 1962 he has also suppressed all rival political parties, so that he is able to declare MESAN as the sole political party, the political movement which had universally secured the country's independence.

After becoming newly-independent Central African Republic's first elected president, David Dacko (here seated, left, alongside President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi of Israel) took the country towards a dictatorship before being deposed, only to return to head a democratic government in 1979

1965

On the very last day of 1965 David Dacko is overthrown during the Saint-Sylvestre coup by Colonel Jean Bedel Bokassa. Not even bothering with Dacko's pretence of political democracy, he becomes the country's first military dictator. The constitution is suppressed and, in 1972, Bokassa declares himself president for life.

1966 - 1976

Military ruler. Declared empire in 1976.

? - 1974

Grandson of al-Sanusi. Sultan-mayor. Head of the royal family.

1974

Born on 25 November 1926 in N'Délé, es-Senoussi is the grandson of Muhammad al-Sanusi of the former sultanate of Dar al-Kuti. As a member of the 'Territorial Assembly', from 1957 to 1966 this has first become the legislative assembly and then the national assembly before Senoussi's death in 1974.

The sultanate of Dar al-Kuti was located to the north of the later Central African Republic, forming a small pocket of territory within one of the many modern CAR provinces (click or tap on map to view full sized)

1974

Son of Kamoun of Dar al-Kuti.

1974

Ibrahim returns to the capital, N'Délé, after the death of his cousin, Mohamed. He assumes the traditional office of sultan (inherited through Dar al-Kuti) in August 1974.

However, the CAR government chooses this occasion to reassert its direct authority in the N'Délé sub-prefecture by declaring the office of mayor of N'Délé to be a civil post, as it had been during the colonial period under the 'French Equatorial Africa'.

Despite discontent, the government appoints a functionary to the position. In this manner the sultan is stripped of most of his former legal and administrative powers.

This picture postcard contains a photo of the troops of Muhammad al-Sanusi in the late eighteenth century or early nineteenth century, being rallied by the sultan himself at the fortified tata at N'Délé

1976

Jean Bedel Bokassa, having already controlled the territory since 1966, now declares CAR to be his 'Empire of Central Africa' (with tacit French approval). He is proclaimed Emperor Bokassa I by an extraordinary congress of the only political party, MESAN, in Bangui on 4 December 1976.

Empire of Central Africa (Africa)
AD 1976 - 1979

Central African States All African States All Modern States Early Africa (Intro) Egypt

Having emerged from a colonial period, Africa in the later twentieth century was often a place of turmoil. Central Africa had been poorly defined as a region until the creation of European colonial territories. France's interest in Central Africa was formalised in the late nineteenth century in the eventual form of the 'Federation of French Colonies'.

Following the Second World War, however, the situation had greatly changed. French colonial holdings were dissolved in 1958 as the various territories became autonomous instead of being subject to direct French administration. Full independence was achieved in 1960 for a new state which was known as Central African Republic.

That republic was short-lived, though. Control of its governance was effectively seized in 1966 by Jean Bedel Bokassa. Just a decade later he had himself declared emperor and the republic became his own Empire of Central Africa.

Now its absolute ruler, he was himself proclaimed Emperor Bokassa I by an extraordinary congress of the only political party, MESAN, in Bangui on 4 December 1976. One year later, on 4 December 1977, he crowned himself emperor with Catherine (born 1949) his favourite wife and now empress. The lavish ceremony cost around a third of the entire country's annual income. On that same day he had his young son, Jean Bedel Bokassa (born 1973), appointed as crown prince and heir.

Thanks to French military intervention the Central African empire fell within the space of three years. Bokassa was ousted, fleeing to Ivory Coast. However, he was later given asylum by France thanks to his former service with the French armed forces. A lasting modern Central African Republic was restored on 20 September 1979.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Richard A Bradshaw and Juan Fandos-Rius, from Culture and Customs of the Central African Republic, Jacqueline Woodfrok (Greenwood Press, 2006), and from External Links: BBC Country Profiles, and Bokassa's ruined palace in CAR (BBC), and Bokassa Successor Says Dictator Killed Children in April Massacre (The New York Times).)

1976 - 1979

Former CAR military ruler. Crowned 4 Dec 1977. Died 1996.

1977

About a year after first proclaiming himself emperor, on 4 December 1977 Jean Bedel Bokassa handles an official coronation in which he crowns himself emperor and Catherine, his favourite wife, now becomes his empress in a lavish ceremony which costs around a third of the entire country's annual income. The emperor's son, also Jean Bedel Bokassa (born 1973), is simultaneously appointed crown prince and heir.

Jean Bedel Bokassa, military ruler of Central African Republic between 1966-1976, emperor in 1976-1979, and exile for the rest of his life, dying in 1996

1977 - 1979

Heir from 4 Dec 1977. Born on 2 November 1973 in Bangui.

1979

French military intervention following a request by David Dacko causes the empire to fall. About nine hundred French troops are flown in overnight from military bases in neighbouring Chad and Gabon.

Bokassa is ousted and flees to Ivory Coast where he remains for four years before being granted asylum by France due to his previous service in the French armed forces. Central African Republic is restored on 20 September 1979.