African Kingdoms

Logone / Dar el-Kuti (CAR Autonomous Republic) (Africa)
AD 2014 - 2021?

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

The modern African state of Central African Republic (CAR) is rich in diamonds, gold, oil, and uranium but has one of the world's poorest populations thanks to continued instability since it achieved restored independence in 1979. With its capital at Bangui (since 1940), the state is neighboured to the north by Chad, to the east by Sudan, to the south-east by Zaire, to the south-west by Congo, and to the west by Cameroon.

The area was tribal for millennia with no established state to refer to as its direct ancestor. Much of today's state was formed out of various minor modern-era sultanates, such as those of Bangassou, Dar al-Kuti, Rafaï, and Zémio, along with their tribal origins in and amongst various Adamawa-Ubangi-speaking peoples such as the Bandia, Nzakara, and Zande.

Central Africa was poorly defined as a cohesive region until the creation of colonial-era territories. That era came when the sultanates were suppressed by the French, one by one, mostly in the early years of the twentieth century. A centralised republic was formed within 'French Equatorial Africa'.

Independence was achieved by 1960, but the country has been dogged by dictators and general instability. Its population of about five million witnessed the eruption in 2013 of a major security and humanitarian crisis, displacing over a quarter of the population. It was out of this chaos the the origins were laid down for the 'Republic of Logone'.

A new Seleka rebel coalition rapidly overran the north and centre of the country by November 2012, sparking a fresh round of civil war and an enormously complicated political situation which can be hard to break down into individual details. To add to the complication, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Gabon sent in forces to help the government halt a drive by the rebel 'Union for the Democratic Forces for Unity' (UFDR) to capture the capital of Bangui. The intervention failed.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Richard A Bradshaw & Juan Fandos-Rius, from Culture and Customs of the Central African Republic, Jacqueline Woodfrok (Greenwood Press, 2006), and Rebels move closer to Bangui, 24 March 2013, and Rebels patrol capital of Central African Republic, 27 March 2013), and from External Links: BBC Country Profiles, and Central African Republic (Ifad), and Central African Republic (World Statesmen), and CAR army and allies retake strategic town of Kaga-Bandoro (RFI, in French), and Dangerous Divisions (Enough Project).)

2013

A new Seleka rebel coalition has rapidly overrun the north and centre of Central African Republic (CAR) in 2012, sparking a fresh round of civil war. In response, in 2013, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Gabon send forces to help the government halt a drive by the rebel 'Union for the Democratic Forces for Unity' (UFDR) to capture the capital of Bangui.

Central African Republic's President Francois Bozize was pictured here speaking during a news conference at the presidential palace in Bangui in 2013, but would later be removed from power and would return from exile to lead rebel forces in the early 2020s

The intervention fails. In March 2013 the rebels overrun the capital and seize power. President Bozize flees while rebel leader Michel Djotodia suspends the constitution and dissolves parliament in a coup which is internationally condemned.

Djotodia is sworn in as interim president while the outside world is warning that CAR poses a risk to regional stability. UN chief Ban Ki-moon says CAR has suffered a 'total breakdown of law and order' and cautions that it may split apart. Djotodia dissolves the Seleka coalition in November 2013 after being criticised for failing to control his fighters. Djotodia resigns in 2014 and flees the country.

2014

Fmr CAR president (14 Aug-Dec only). UFDR. In exile.

2015 - 2016?

Leader (14 Dec on). Mil/FDPC. Founded Logone.

2015

Maouloud Moussa is the spokesman of Noureddine Adam, FDPC leader in the country's north-east. He declares the creation there of the autonomous 'Republic of Logone' on 14 December 2015.

Warfare in Central African Republic has become endemic, with millions fleeing the violence and UN troops seemingly a permanent fixture as they attempt to keep apart the various factions

He explains that the group first want to achieve autonomy within Central African Republic and then eventually achieve full independence. The name is soon changed to Dar al-Kuti in order to avoid confrontation with Chadian armed groups. Besides having FPRC support, the republic's independence is generally supported by the MPC, RPRC, and MLCJ armed groups.

2016

After a false start in 2015 with an election which had been cancelled due to perceived irregularities, Faustin-Archange Touadera, a well-respected peacemaker and former mathematics professor, now wins a fresh election in the run-offs in Central African Republic. However, kidnappings by Lords Resistance Army reportedly increase across 2016.

Noureddine Adam announced the creation of a seperatist republic not once but twice, with the 'Republic of Logone' being located in the rebel-held north-east of Central Africa Republic but, by 2016, and more certainly 2021, hopes of an independent state there seemed to have vanished

2017

Central African Republic's continuing violence results in the highest level of civilian displacement since the start of the crisis in 2013. More than one million people have left their homes. By 2018 years of rebellion and mismanagement has reduced the government to ruling only the area around the capital of Bangui.

More than a dozen armed groups and many local militias rule the rest of the country. These autonomous groups include: the 'Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic' (FPRC) in Kaga Bandoro, the centre of the autonomous Logone region in the north-central part of the country.

Areas of the region are also under the control of the 'Central African Patriotic Movement' (MPC), another faction of the former Islamist Seleka. The MPC administer customs, levy taxes, impose fines, and establish a gendarmerie.

United Nations forces patrol Bangui in 2020, where peacekeepers and government forces clash with armed groups

2019 - 2020

After several failed attempts the Central African Republic army makes an attempt to return to Kaga Bandoro, but its troops remain confined to their base after reaching it, without undertaking any operations. They eventually withdraw, following an attack which is carried out as part of the 'Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement' (CPC) rebellion of the end of December 2020.

2021

The national Central African Republic army and its Wagner Group allies enter Kaga Bandoro in the early hours of Saturday 10 April 2021. This strategic trading hub has been in the hands of armed groups since 2014, serving as the capital of the autonomous republic of Logone. Most of the rebels have already withdrawn in good order, leaving the self-declared republic's future in doubt.