\n The Central African Republic (CAR) has lurched from crisis to crisis since it gained independence from France in 1960.\n<\/p>\n
\n An overview of its recent history:\n<\/p>\n
\n - Independence -\n<\/p>\n
\n On August 13, 1960 the former French territory of Ubangui-Shari proclaims its independence, with David Dacko as president.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Bokassa's 'empire' -\n<\/p>\n
\n In December 1965 Dacko is overthrown in a coup led by his cousin, Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who is named president for life in 1972, then crowns himself Emperor Bokassa I in 1977.\n<\/p>\n
\n During his 14 years in power, he is regarded as one of the continent's most ruthless dictators and in September 1979 is overthrown by French paratroopers.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dacko is reinstated, but two years later is forced to hand over power to the military.\n<\/p>\n
\n In 1993 Ange-Felix Patasse becomes president at the first multi-party elections.\n<\/p>\n
\n But only three year later the country is rocked by three successive rebellions.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Bozize in power -\n<\/p>\n
\n In March 2003, former five-star general Francois Bozize overthrows Patasse in a coup.\n<\/p>\n
\n In May 2005 he wins the first free election since the coup.\n<\/p>\n
\n Four month later rebels seize the first of several northeastern towns. Backed by French fighter jets, government troops regain control after months of fighting.\n<\/p>\n
\n In March 2013, rebels from a Muslim-dominated coalition called Seleka seize the capital. Bozize, a Christian, flees.\n<\/p>\n
\n Seleka leader Michel Djotodia proclaims himself president.\n<\/p>\n
\n The country descends into sectarian chaos pitting Seleka rebels against vigilante self-defence groups from the Christian and animist majority known as anti-Balaka.\n<\/p>\n
\n - France intervenes -\n<\/p>\n
\n As the violence engulfs Bangui, France sends in troops under a UN mandate in December 2013.\n<\/p>\n
\n In January 2014 Djotodia resigns under international pressure. Parliament elects an interim president.\n<\/p>\n
\n In September, a new UN military mission, MINUSCA, deploys.\n<\/p>\n
\n In January 2015, a UN investigation concludes that both sides in the conflict had committed crimes against humanity. It puts the death toll in the \"thousands\".\n<\/p>\n
\n In February 2016 Faustin Archange Touadera is elected president as calm returns after three years of violence.\n<\/p>\n
\n - UN sex scandal -\n<\/p>\n
\n In 2017 and 2018 clashes continue between armed groups despite African and Russian mediation attempts.\n<\/p>\n
\n In June that year about 600 troops from the Republic of Congo serving in the UN force are sent home amid allegations of sex abuse and misconduct against the force.\n<\/p>\n
\n The following year a special court tasked with trying crimes committed in CAR since 2003 is established.\n<\/p>\n
\n Former anti-Balaka chief Alfred Yekatom, who is accused of crimes against humanity, is handed over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague in November 2018.\n<\/p>\n
\n He is joined in January 2019 by Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, the \"most senior leader\" of the anti-Balaka.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Eighth peace agreement -\n<\/p>\n
\n In February 2019 the government and 14 armed groups sign a peace deal, the eighth to be reached since the violence began.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Pre-election 'coup bid' -\n<\/p>\n
\n Bozize, now 74, slips back into the country in December 2019 but is later barred from taking part in the election because of an outstanding warrant for murder and torture.\n<\/p>\n
\n The government accuses him of trying to foment a coup a week before the polls. Russia and Rwanda, responding to a CAR request, send hundreds of military personnel, the authorities say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Central African Republic (CAR) has lurched from crisis to crisis since it gained independence from France in 1960. An overview of its recent history: - Independence - On August 13, 1960 the former French territory of Ubangui-Shari proclaims its independence, with David Dacko as president. - Bokassa's 'empire' - In December 1965 Dacko is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-46348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n