Central African Republic

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Not to be confused with Central Africa, Central African Federation, or British Central Africa.
Central African Republic
KdrssetBafrka
Rpubliquecentrafricaine


Motto: "Unit, Dignit, Travail" (French)
"Unity, Dignity, Work"
Anthem: E Zingo (Sango)
La Renaissance (French)
The Renaissance

Capital
and largest city
Bangui
422N 1835E
Official languages Sango and French
Ethnic groups
Baya
Banda
Mandjia
Sara
Mboum
M'Baka
Yakoma
others
Demonym Central African
Government Military junta
-

President Michel Djotodia
-

Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye
Legislature National Assembly (suspended)
Independence
-

from France 13 August 1960
Area
-

Total
622,984 km
2
(45th)
240,534 sq mi
-

Water (%) 0
Population
-

2009 estimate 4,422,000
[1]
(124th)
-

2003 census 3,895,150
-

Density
7.1/km
2
(223rd)
18.4/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2012 estimate
-

Total $3.891 billion
[2]

-

Per capita $800
[2]

GDP (nominal) 2012 estimate
-

Total $2.172 billion
[2]

-

Per capita $446
[2]

Gini (2008)
56.3
[3]

high
HDI (2011)
0.343
low 179th
Currency Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone WAT (UTC+1)
-

Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+1)
Drives on the right
[4]

Calling code +236
ISO 3166 code CF
Internet TLD .cf
The Central African Republic (CAR; SangoKdrssetBafrka; French: Rpublique
centrafricaine, pronounced: [epybliks

tafikn], or Centrafrique [s

tafik]) is a landlocked
country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the northeast, South Sudan in
the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo in the south and
Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres
(240,000 sq mi) and has an estimated population of about 4.4 million as of 2008. The capital is
Bangui.
France called the colony it carved out in this region Oubangui-Chari, as most of the territory was
located in the Ubangi and Chari river basins. It became a semi-autonomous territory of the
French Community in 1958 and then an independent nation on 13 August 1960, taking its
present name. For over three decades after independence, the CAR was ruled by presidents or an
emperor, who either were unelected or who took power by force. Local discontent with this
system was eventually reinforced by international pressure, following the end of the Cold War.
The first multi-party democratic elections in the CAR were held in 1993, with the aid of
resources provided by the country's donors and help from the United Nations. The elections
brought Ange-Flix Patass to power, but he lost popular support during his presidency and was
overthrown in 2003 by the French-backed General Franois Boziz, who went on to win a
democratic election in May 2005.
[5]
Boziz's inability to pay public sector workers led to strikes
in 2007, which led him to appoint a new government on 22 January 2008, headed by Faustin-
ArchangeTouadra. In February 2010, Boziz signed a presidential decree which set 25 April
2010 as the date for the next presidential election. This was postponed, but elections were held in
January and March 2011, which were won by Boziz and his party. Despite maintaining a veneer
of stability, Boziz's rule was plagued with heavy corruption, underdevelopment, nepotism and
authoritarianism, which led to an open rebellion against his government. The rebellion was led
by an alliance of armed opposition factions known as the Slka Coalition during the Central
African Republic Bush War (20042007) and the 20122013 Central African Republic conflict.
This eventually led to his overthrow on 24 March 2013. As a result of the coup d'etat and
resulting chaos, governance in the CAR has all but disappeared and Prime MinisterNicolas
Tiangaye has said the country is an "anarchy, a non-state."
[6]

Most of the CAR consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas but it also includes a Sahelo-Sudanian
zone in the north and an equatorial forest zone in the south. Two thirds of the country lies in the
basins of the Ubangi River, which flows south into the Congo, while the remaining third lies in
the basin of the Chari, which flows north into Lake Chad.
Despite its significant mineral and other resources, such as uranium reserves in Bakouma, crude
oil, gold, diamonds, lumber and hydropower,
[7]
as well as arable land, the Central African
Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world and is among the ten poorest countries in
Africa. The Human Development Index for the Central African Republic is 0.343, which puts the
country at 179th out of those 187 countries with data.
Contents
1 History
o 1.1 Early history
o 1.2 Exposure to the outside world
o 1.3 French colonial period
o 1.4 Independence
2 Geography
o 2.1 Prefectures and sub-prefectures
o 2.2 Climate
3 Demographics
o 3.1 Religion
o 3.2 Language
4 Government and politics
o 4.1 Recent events
5 Human rights
6 Foreign relations and military
o 6.1 Foreign aid
o 6.2 Peacebuilding Commission
o 6.3 Peacebuilding Fund
7 Economy
8 Infrastructure
o 8.1 Science and technology
o 8.2 Transportation
o 8.3 Energy
o 8.4 Education
o 8.5 Health
9 Culture
o 9.1 Music
o 9.2 Sports
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links
History
Part of a series on the
History of the
Central African Republic

Pre-colonial states
Kanem Empire (ca. 7001376)
Kingdom of Baguirmi (15221897)
Ouaddai Empire (16351912)
Arab slave trade
Colonial period
Congo Free State
French Equatorial Africa
BarthlemyBoganda and CA Nationalism
Independent RCA
Bokassa coup (1959)
Central African Empire (197679)
Dacko counter-coup (1979)
Kolingba coup (1981)
Boziz coup (2003)
CAR conflict (201213)
Central African Republic portal
v
t
e
Main article: History of the Central African Republic

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged
and removed. (April 2013)
Early history
Between about 1000 BC and 1000 AD, Ubangian-speaking peoples spread eastward from
Cameroon to Sudan, settling in most of what is now known as the Central African Republic.
During the same period, a much smaller number of Bantu-speaking immigrants settled in south-
western CAR and a number Central Sudanic-speaking people settled along the Oubangi. As a
result of these early migrations, the majority of the CAR's present population speakUbangian
languages, or Bantu languages that belong to the NigerCongo family. A minority speak Central
Sudanic languages of the Nilo-Saharan family.
Exposure to the outside world
Before the 19th century, the people living in what is now 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 19th century, Muslim
traders penetrated the region and cultivated relations with local leaders to facilitate trade and
settlement in the region.
The arrival of Muslim traders in the early 19th century was relatively peaceful and depended
upon the support of local peoples, but after about 1850, Arab slave traders with well-armed
soldiers began to penetrate the region. The Bobangi people became major slave traders.
[8]
From
about 1860 to 1910, slave traders from Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Dar al-Kuti in northern CAR
and Nzakara and Zande states in south-eastern CAR permanently depopulated the eastern
CAR.
[9]

French colonial period
Main article: Ubangi-Shari
The European penetration of Central African territory began in the late 19th century, during the
so-called Scramble for Africa.
[10]
Count Savorgnan de Brazza established the French Congo and
sent expeditions up the Ubangi River from Brazzaville in an effort to expand France's claims to
territory in Central Africa. Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom also competed to
establish their claims to territory in the region.
In 1889, the French established a post on the Ubangi River at Bangui. In 189091, De Brazza
sent expeditions up the Sangha River, in what is now south-western CAR, up the center of the
Ubangi basin toward Lake Chad, and eastward along the Ubangi River toward the Nile, with in
the intention of expanding the borders of the French Congo to link up other the French territories
in Africa. In 1894, the French Congo's borders with Leopold II of Belgium's Congo Free State
and German Cameroon were fixed by diplomatic agreements. In 1899, the French Congo's
border with Sudan was fixed along the Congo-Nile divide. This situation left France without her
much coveted outlet on the Nile.
Once European negotiators had agreed upon the borders of the French Congo, France had to
decide how to pay for the costly occupation, administration and development of the territory it
had acquired. The reported financial successes of Leopold II's concessionary companies in the
Congo Free State convinced the French government to grant 17 private companies large
concessions in the Ubangi-Shari region in 1899. In return for the right to exploit these lands by
buying local products and selling European goods, the companies promised to pay rent to France
and to promote the development of their concessions. The companies employed European and
African agents, who frequently used brutal methods to force the Africans to work for them. At
the same time, the French colonial administration began to force the local population to pay taxes
and to provide the state with free labor. The companies and the French administration at times
collaborated in forcing the Central Africans to work for them. Some French officials reported
abuses committed by private company militias, and their own colonial colleagues and troops, but
efforts to bring these criminals to justice almost always failed. When any news of atrocities
committed against Central Africans reached France and caused an outcry, investigations were
undertaken and some feeble attempts at reform were made, but the situation on the ground in
Ubangi-Shari remained essentially the same.
During the first decade of French colonial rule, from about 1900 to 1910, the rulers of the
Ubangi-Shari region increased both their slave-raiding activities and the selling of local produce
to Europe. 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
slave-trading by local rulers during the first decade of colonial rule.
[citation needed]



Oubangui-Chari in 1910
During the 1910s, armed employees of private companies and the colonial state dealt brutally
with any local resistance, but after the power of local African rulers was destroyed, slave raiding
greatly diminished. In 1911, the Sangha and Lobaye basins were ceded to Germany, as part of an
agreement which gave France a free hand in Morocco. Western Ubangi-Shari remained under
German rule until World War I, after which France reconquered this territory using Central
African troops.


Stamp from 1924


Charles de Gaulle in Bangui, 1940
From 1920 to 1930, a network of roads was built, cash crops were promoted and mobile health
services were formed to combat sleeping sickness. Protestantmissions were established in
different parts of the country. New forms of forced labor were also introduced, however, as the
French conscripted large numbers of Ubangians to work on the Congo-Ocean Railway, and
many of these recruits died of exhaustion and illness. In 1925, the French writer Andr Gide
published Voyage au Congo, in which he described the alarming consequences of conscription
for the Congo-Ocean railroad. He exposed the continuing atrocities committed against Central
Africans in Western Ubangi-Shari by such employees as the Forestry Company of Sangha-
Ubangi. In 1928 a major insurrection, the Kongo-Wara 'war of the hoe handle' broke out in
Western Ubangi-Shari, which continued for several years. The extent of this insurrection, which
was perhaps the largest anti-colonial rebellion in Africa during the interwar years, was carefully
hidden from the French public, because it provided evidence of strong opposition to French
colonial rule and forced labor.
During the 1930s, cotton, tea, and coffee emerged as important cash crops in Ubangi-Shari and
the mining of diamonds and gold began in earnest. Several cotton companies were granted
purchasing monopolies over large areas of cotton production and were able to fix the prices paid
to cultivators, which assured profits for their shareholders. In September 1940, during the Second
World War, pro-Gaullist French officers took control of Ubangi-Shari.
[11]

Independence
On 1 December 1958 the colony of Ubangi-Shari became an autonomous territory within the
French Community and took the name Central African Republic. The founding father and
president of the Conseil de Gouvernement, BarthlmyBoganda, died in a mysterious plane
accident in 1959, just eight days before the last elections of the colonial era.
On 13 August 1960, the Central African Republic gained its independence and two of Boganda's
closest aides, Abel Goumba and David Dacko, became involved in a power struggle. With the
backing of the French, Dacko took power and soon had Goumba arrested. By 1962, President
Dacko had established a one-party state.


Jean-BdelBokassa.
[12]

On 31 December 1965, Dacko was overthrown in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'tat by Colonel
Jean-BdelBokassa, who suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly.
President Bokassa declared himself President For Life in 1972, and named himself Emperor
Bokassa I of the Central African Empire (as the country was renamed) on 4 December 1976. A
year later, Emperor Bokassa crowned himself in a lavish and expensive ceremony that was
ridiculed by much of the world.
[12]
Around 100 elementary school students were killed in April
1979.
[13]
In 1979 France carried out a coup against Bokassa and "restored" Dacko to power (the
name of the country was subsequently restored to Central African Republic). Dacko, in turn, was
overthrown in a coup by General Andr Kolingba on 1 September 1981.
Kolingba suspended the constitution and ruled with a military junta until 1985. He introduced a
new constitution in 1986 which was adopted by a nationwide referendum. Membership in his
new party, the RassemblementDmocratiqueCentrafricain (RDC) was voluntary. In 1987, semi-
competitive elections to parliament were held and municipal elections were held in 1988.
Kolingba's two major political opponents, Abel Goumba and Ange-Flix Patass, boycotted
these elections because their parties were not allowed to compete.
By 1990, inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall, a pro-democracy movement became very active.
In May 1990, a letter signed by 253 prominent citizens asked for the convocation of a National
Conference but Kolingba refused this request and detained several opponents. Pressure from the
United States, more reluctantly from France, and from a group of locally represented countries
and agencies called GIBAFOR (France, USA, Germany, Japan, EU, World Bank and UN)
finally led Kolingba to agree, in principle, to hold free elections in October 1992, with help from
the UN Office of Electoral Affairs. After using the excuse of alleged irregularities to suspend the
results of the elections as a pretext for holding on to power, President Kolingba came under
intense pressure from GIBAFOR to establish a "Conseil National PolitiqueProvisoire de la
Rpublique" (Provisional National Political Council, CNPPR) and to set up a "Mixed Electoral
Commission" which included representatives from all political parties.
When elections were finally held in 1993, again with the help of the international community,
Ange-Flix Patass led in the first round and Kolingba came in fourth behind Abel Goumba and
David Dacko. In the second round, Patass won 53% of the vote while Goumba won 45.6%.
Most of Patass's support came from Gbaya, Kare and Kaba voters in seven heavily populated
prefectures in the northwest while Goumba's support came largely from ten less-populated
prefectures in the south and east. Furthermore, Patass's party, the Mouvement pour la Libration
du PeupleCentrafricain (MLPC) or Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People
gained a simple but not an absolute majority of seats in parliament, which meant Patass needed
coalition partners.
Patass relieved former President Kolingba of his military rank of general in March 1994 and
then charged several former ministers with various crimes. Patass also removed many Yakoma
from important, lucrative posts in the government. Two hundred mostly Yakoma members of the
presidential guard were also dismissed or reassigned to the army. Kolingba's RDC loudly
proclaimed that Patass's government was conducting a "witch hunt" against the Yakoma.
A new constitution was approved on 28 December 1994 and promulgated on 14 January 1995,
but this constitution, like those before it, did not have much impact on the practice of politics. In
19961997, reflecting steadily decreasing public confidence in its erratic behaviour, three
mutinies against Patass's government were accompanied by widespread destruction of property
and heightened ethnic tension. On 25 January 1997, the Bangui Agreements were signed which
provided for the deployment of an inter-African military mission, the Mission Interafricaine de
Surveillance des Accords de Bangui (MISAB). Mali's former president, AmadouTour, served as
chief mediator and brokered the entry of ex-mutineers into the government on 7 April 1997. The
MISAB mission was later replaced by a U.N. peacekeeping force, the Mission des Nations Unies
en RCA (MINURCA).


Rebel in northern Central African Republic
In 1998, parliamentary elections resulted in Kolingba's RDC winning 20 out of 109 seats,
constituting a comeback. However, in 1999, notwithstanding widespread public anger in urban
centers at his corrupt rule, Patass won free elections to become president for a second term.
On 28 May 2001, rebels stormed strategic buildings in Bangui in an unsuccessful coup attempt.
The army chief of staff, Abel Abrou, and General Franois N'DjadderBedaya were shot, but
Patass regained the upper hand by bringing in at least 300 troops of the rebel leader Jean-Pierre
Bemba (from across the river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and by Libyan soldiers.
In the aftermath of this failed coup, militias loyal to Patass sought revenge against rebels in
many neighborhoods of the capital, Bangui, that resulted in the destruction of many homes as
well as the torture and murder of many opponents. Eventually Patass came to suspect that
General Franois Boziz was involved in another coup attempt against him and so Boziz fled
with loyal troops to Chad. In March 2003, Boziz launched a surprise attack against Patass, who
was out of the country. Libyan troops and some 1,000 soldiers of Bemba's Congolese rebel
organization failed to stop the rebels, who took control of the country and thus succeeded in
overthrowing Patass.
Franois Boziz suspended the constitution and named a new cabinet which included most
opposition parties. Abel Goumba, known as "Mr. Clean",
[citation needed]
was named vice-president,
which gave Boziz's new government a positive image. Boziz established a broad-based
National Transition Council to draft a new constitution and announced that he would step down
and run for office once the new constitution was approved. A national dialogue was held from 15
September to 27 October 2003, and Boziz won a fair election that excluded Patass, to be
elected president on a second ballot, in May 2005.
In November 2006, the Boziz government requested French military support to fend off rebels
who had taken control of towns in the country's north.
[14]
Though the initially public details of
the agreement pertained to logistics and intelligence, the French assistance eventually included
strikes by Mirage jets against rebel positions.
[15]

Boziz was reelected in an election in 2011 which was widely considered fraudulent.
[16]

In November 2012 a coalition of rebel groups took over towns in the north and center of the
country. These groups eventually reached a peace deal with the Boziz's government in January
2013 involving a power sharing government.
[16]
This peace deal was later broken when the rebels
who had joined the power sharing government left their posts and rebel groups stormed the
capital. Boziz fled the country and Michel Djotodia took over the presidency.
Geography
Main article: Geography of the Central African Republic


Map of the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic is a landlocked nation within the interior of the African continent.
It is bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and the Republic of the Congo. The country lies between latitudes 2 and 11N, and longitudes
14 and 28E.
Much of the country consists of flat, or rolling plateau savanna, typically about 500 metres
(1,640 ft) above sea level, of which most of the northern half lies within the World Wildlife
Fund's East Sudanian savannaecoregion. As well as the Fertit Hills in the northeast of the CAR,
there are scattered hills in the southwest. To the northwest is the Yade Massif, a granite plateau
with an altitude of 1,143 feet (348 m).
At 622,941 square kilometres (240,519 sq mi), the Central African Republic is the world's 45th-
largest country. It is comparable in size to Ukraine, and is somewhat smaller than the US state of
Texas.
Much of the southern border is formed by tributaries of the Congo River, with the Mbomou
River in the east merging with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River. In the west, the Sangha
River flows through part of the country. The eastern border lies along the edge of the Nile
Riverwatershed.
It has been estimated that up to 8% of the country is covered by forest, with the densest parts in
the south. The forest is highly diverse in nature and includes commercially important species of
Ayous, Sapelli and Sipo.
[17]
The deforestation rate is 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is
commonplace.
[18]

In the November 2008 issue of National Geographic, the Central African Republic was named
the country least affected by light pollution.


Ubangi River on the outskirts of
Bangui


Falls of Boali on
the Mbali River


A village in the Central African
Republic
Prefectures and sub-prefectures
Main articles: Prefectures of the Central African Republic and Sub-prefectures of the Central
African Republic


A clickable map of the fourteen prefectures of the Central African Republic.

The Central African Republic is divided into 14 administrative prefectures (prfectures), along
with two economic prefectures (prfectureseconomiques) and one autonomous commune. The
prefectures are further divided into 71 sub-prefectures (sous-prfectures).
The prefectures are Bamingui-Bangoran, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kmo,
Lobaye, Mambr-Kad, Mbomou, Nana-Mambr, Ombella-M'Poko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-
Pend and Vakaga.
The two economic prefectures are Nana-Grbizi and Sangha-Mbar, while the commune is the
capital city Bangui.
Climate
Main article: Climate of the Central African Republic
The climate of the Central African Republic is generally tropical, with a wet season that lasts
from June to September in the north of the country, and from May to October in the south.
During the wet season there are rainstorms on an almost daily basis and there is often early
morning fog. Maximum annual precipitation is 71 inches (1,800 mm) in the upper Ubangi
region.
[19]

The northern areas are hot and humid from February to May,
[20]
but can be subject to the hot, dry
and dusty trade wind known as the Harmattan. The southern regions have a more equatorial
climate but are subject to desertification, while the northeast of the country already is a desert.
Demographics


Fula women in Paoua
Main article: Demographics of the Central African Republic
The population of the Central African Republic has almost quadrupled since independence. In
1960, the population was 1,232,000; as of a 2009 UN estimate, it was 4,422,000.
[1]

The United Nations estimates that approximately 11% of the population aged between 15 and 49
is HIV positive.
[21]
Only 3% of the country has antiretroviral therapy available, compared to a
17% coverage in the neighbouring countries of Chad and the Republic of the Congo.
[22]

The nation is divided into over 80 ethnic groups, each having its own language. The largest
ethnic groups are the Baya, Banda, Mandjia, Sara, Mboum, M'Baka, Yakoma, and Fula or
Fulani,
[23]
with others including Europeans of mostly French descent
[7]

Religion
Main article: Religion in the Central African Republic
Fifty percent of the population of CAR are Christians (Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%),
while 35% of the population maintain indigenous beliefs. Islam is practised by 15% of the
country's population.
[7]
There are many missionary groups operating in the country, including
Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Grace Brethren, and Jehovah's Witnesses. While these
missionaries are predominantly from the United States, France, Italy and Spain, many are also
from Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries. Missionaries
left the country when fighting broke out between rebel and government forces in 2002-3, but
many of them have now returned to continue their work.
[24]

Language
Main article: Languages of the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic's two official languages are Sangho, aNgbandi-based creole, and
French.
Government and politics
Main articles: Politics of the Central African Republic and Central African Republic Council of
Ministers
Like many other former French colonies, the Central African Republic's legal system is based
upon French law.
[25]

A new constitution was approved by voters in a referendum held on 5 December 2004. Full
multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections were held in March 2005,
[26]
with a second
round in May. Boziz was declared the winner after a run-off vote.
[27]

A couple of years later, the Central African Republic fell victim to one of Africa's many civil
wars, rebellions and revolutions. In February 2006, there were reports of widespread violence in
the northern part of the country.
[28]
Thousands of refugees fled their homes, caught up in the
crossfire between government troops and rebel forces. More than 7,000 people fled to
neighboring Chad. Those who remained in the CAR told how government troops systematically
killed men and boys that they suspected of cooperation with the rebels.
[29]
The French military
supported the Boziz government's response to the rebels in November 2006.
[14][15]

In March 2010, Boziz signed a decree declaring that presidential elections were to be held on 25
April 2010.
[30]
The elections were postponed, firstly until 16 May and then indefinitely.
[31]

Finally, the general election was set for 23 January 2011. Despite serious organizational
problems,
[32]
the election proceeded as scheduled.
[citation needed]
A second round was held on 27
March 2011.
[citation needed]
The general elections were partly funded by the European Union and
United Nations Development Programme. The 'Observatoire National des Elections' monitored
the election process.
[33]
Both Boziz and his party scored major victories.
[citation needed]

Recent events
Main article: Central African Republic conflict (2012present)


Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with Faustin-ArchangeTouadra at a 2009
reception in New York City.
Despite the veneer of stability during that era, Boziz's rule was plagued with heavy corruption,
underdevelopment, nepotism, and authoritarianism, leading to an open rebellion against the
Boziz government by an alliance of armed opposition factions known as the Slka Coalition
during the Central African Republic Bush War and the 20122013 Central African Republic
conflict that eventually led to his overthrow on 24 March 2013.
In December 2012, Slka Coalition rebels advanced towards the capital, prompting protests at
the French embassy and the evacuation of the US embassy.
[34]
After several days of clashes and
rebel advances, and following the refusal by the French government to intervene, the Boziz
government agreed to holding talks with rebels.
[35]
On 24 March 2013, the Slka rebels marched
into the capital and stormed the presidential palace, forcing Boziz to flee to Cameroon via the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
[36][37]

The rebel leader Djotodia proclaimed himself President after conquering the capital of Bangui.
Nicolas Tiangaye remained as the prime minister: he was recently appointed and was allowed by
the Slka rebels to retain his post, as he was endorsed by the opposition.
[38]

Resistance against the new rulers consisted mostly of armed youths, and soldiers in a base 60
kilometres (37 mi) from the capital. By 27 March, normal life in the capital had begun to be
resumed.
[39]
Top military and police officers recognized Djotodia as President on 28 March
2013, in what was viewed as "a form of surrender".
[40]

A new government was appointed on 31 March 2013, which consisted of members of Slka and
representatives of the opposition to Boziz, one pro-Bozizindividual
[41][42]
and a number
representatives of civil society. On 1 April, the former opposition parties declared that they
would boycott the government.
[43]
After African leaders in Chad refused to recognize Djotodia as
President, proposing instead the formation of an transitional council and the holding of new
elections, Djotodia accordingly signed a decree on 6 April for the formation of a council that
would act as a transitional parliament. The council was tasked with electing a president to serve
prior to elections in 18 months.
[44]

Human rights
Main article: Human rights in the Central African Republic
The 2009 Human Rights Report by the United States Department of State noted that, in general,
the CAR's human rights record remained poor. Concerns were expressed over numerous
government abuses.
[45]
Freedom of speech is addressed in the country's constitution, but there
were incidents of government intimidation with the intent to limit media criticism.
[45]
A report by
the International Research & Exchanges Board's media sustainability index noted that "the
country minimally met objectives, with segments of the legal system and government opposed to
a free media system".
[45]

From 1972 to 1990, and in 2002 and 2003, the CAR was rated 'Not Free' by Freedom House. It
was rated 'Partly Free' in 19912001 and from 2004 to the present.
[46]
On the United Nations
Human Development Index, it ranks 179 out of 187 countries.
[47]

According to the U.S. State Department, major human rights abuses occur in the country. These
include: extrajudicial executions by security forces; the torture, beating and rape of suspects and
prisoners; impunity, particularly among the armed forces; harsh and life-threatening conditions
in prisons and detention centers; arbitrary arrest and detention, prolonged pretrial detention and
denial of a fair trial; restrictions on freedom of movement; official corruption; and restrictions on
workers' rights. The State Department report also cites: widespread mob violence that often
results in fatalities; the prevalence of female genital mutilation; discrimination against women
and Pygmies; trafficking in persons; forced labor; and child labor. Freedom of movement is
limited in the northern part of the country "because of actions by state security forces, armed
bandits, and other nonstate armed entities" and due to fighting between government and anti-
government forces, many persons have been internally displaced.
[48]

Foreign relations and military
See also: Military of the Central African Republic and Foreign relations of the Central African
Republic
The Central African Armed Forces were established in 1960. In 2009, the Central African
Republic began seeking investments from China.
Foreign aid
The Central African Republic is heavily dependent upon multilateral foreign aid and the
presence of numerous NGOs which provide services which the government fails to provide. As
one UNDP official put it, the CAR is a country "sous serum", or a country metaphorically
hooked up to an IV. (Mehler 2005:150). The very presence of numerous foreign personnel and
organizations in the country, including peacekeepers and even refugee camps, provides an
important source of revenue for many Central Africans.
[citation needed]

Much of the country is self-sufficient in food crops. Livestock development is hindered by the
presence of the tsetse fly.
In 2006, due to ongoing violence, over 50,000 people in the country's northwest were at risk of
starvation.
[49]
This was only averted thanks to United Nations support.
[citation needed]

Peacebuilding Commission
On 12 June 2008, the Central African Republic became the fourth country to be placed on the
agenda of the UN Peacebuilding Commission,
[50]
which was set up in 2005 to help countries
emerging from conflict avoid the slide back into war or chaos. The 31-member body agreed to
take up the situation after a request from the government.
Peacebuilding Fund
On 8 January 2008, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon declared that the Central African
Republic was eligible to receive assistance from the Peacebuilding Fund.
[51]
Three priority areas
were identified: firstly, the reform of the security sector; secondly, the promotion of good
governance and the rule of law; and, thirdly, the revitalization of communities affected by
conflicts.
Economy


Bangui shopping district


Lettuce plantation in northern CAR
Main article: Economy of the Central African Republic
Banks in the Central African Republic dispense the CFA franc, which is accepted in a number of
different countries. Agriculture is dominated by the cultivation and sale of food crops such as
cassava, peanuts, maize, sorghum, millet, sesame, and plantain. The annual real GDP growth rate
is just above 3%. The importance of food crops over exported cash crops is indicated by the fact
that the total production of cassava, the staple food of most Central Africans, ranges between
200,000 and 300,000 tonnes a year, while the production of cotton, the principal exported cash
crop, ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 tonnes a year. Food crops are not exported in large
quantities, but they still constitute the principal cash crops of the country, because Central
Africans derive far more income from the periodic sale of surplus food crops than from exported
cash crops such as cotton or coffee.
[citation needed]



Graphical depiction of Central African Republic's product exports in 28 color-coded categories
The Republic's primary import partner is South Korea (45.8%). Other imports come from
Netherlands (8.8%), France (7.2%) and Cameroon (5.1%). Its largest export partner is Belgium
(30.4%), followed by China (17.1%), the Democratic Republic of Congo (7.9%), France (7.1%),
Indonesia (6.3%), and Morocco (5.3%).
[7]

The per capita income of the Republic is often listed as being around $300 a year, said to be one
of the lowest in the world, but this figure is based mostly on reported sales of exports and largely
ignores such unregistered sale of foods, locally produced alcohol, diamonds, ivory, bushmeat and
traditional medicine. For most Central Africans, the informal economy of the CAR is more
important than the formal economy.
[citation needed]
Among the
[[Mining_industry_of_the_Central_African_Republic]], diamonds constitute the country's most
important export, accounting for 4055% of export revenues, but it is estimated that between
30% and 50% of those produced each year leave the country clandestinely. Export trade is
hindered by poor economic development and the country's location away from the coast.
[citation
needed]

The wilderness regions of this country represent potential ecotourist destinations. In the
southwest, the Dzanga-Sangha National Park is located in a rain forest area. The country is noted
for its population of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas. To the north, the Manovo-
Gounda St Floris National Park is well-populated with wildlife, including leopards, lions, and
rhinos. The Bamingui-Bangoran National Park is located in the north-east of CAR. The parks
have been badly affected by the activities of poachers, in particular from Sudan, over the past
two decades.
[citation needed]

CAR is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa
(OHADA).
[52]
In the 2009 World Bank Group's report Doing Business, it was ranked 180th of
181 as regards 'ease of business', a composite index that takes into account regulations that
enhance business activity and those that constrain it.
[53]

Infrastructure
Science and technology
See also: Communications in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic has active television service and radio stations.
Transportation
See also: Transportation in the Central African Republic


Trucks in Bangui
The Central African Republic has over 1,800 motor vehicles on the road, although a limited
quantity of land has been developed into highways.
Energy
See also: Energy in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic primarily uses hydroelectricity because there are few resources for
energy.
Education


Classroom in Sam Ouandja
Main article: Education in the Central African Republic
Public education in the Central African Republic is free and compulsory from ages 6 to 14.
[54]

About half the adult population of the country is illiterate.
[55]
The University of Bangui, a public
university located in Bangui, and Euclid University, an international university in Bangui are the
two institutions of higher education in the Central African Republic.
Health
Main article: Health in the Central African Republic
In 2007, female life expectancy at birth was 48.2 years and male life expectancy at birth was
45.1 years.
[56]
The fertility rate is about five births per woman.
[56]
According to 2009 estimates,
the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is about 4.7% of the adult population (ages 1549).
[57]

Government expenditure on health was at US$ 20 (PPP) per person in 2006.
[56]
There were 0.08
physicians per 100,000 people in 2004.
[58]
Government expenditure on health was at 10.9% of
total government expenditure in 2006.
[56]

Culture
See also: List of African writers (by country)#Central African Republic
Music
Main article: Music of the Central African Republic
Sports
The Central African Republic national football team, which is governed by the
FdrationCentrafricaine de Football, stage matches at BarthelemyBoganda Stadium.