André Kolingba
Encyclopedia
André-Dieudonné Kolingba (12 August 1936 – 7 February 2010) was the fourth president of the Central African Republic
(CAR), from 1 September 1981 until 1 October 1993. He took power from President David Dacko
in a bloodless coup d'état
in 1981 and lost power to Ange-Félix Patassé
in a democratic election held in 1993. Kolingba retained the strong support of France until the fall of the Berlin Wall
, after which both internal and external pressure forced him to hold presidential elections which he lost.
His twelve-year term in office saw the growing influence of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and World Bank
in decisions by donor-nations regarding financial support and management of the Central African state. Many members of Kolingba's ethnic group, the Yakoma
, obtained lucrative posts in the public, private and parastatal sectors of the CAR's economy during his era. This gave rise to growing tension between so-called "southerners" (including the riverine Yakoma) and "northerners" (including the savanna Gbaya
) in the CAR which led to violent confrontations between these groups during the Patassé era (1993–2003).
in French Equatorial Africa
. A member of the riverine Yakoma ethnic group, Kolingba (meaning "Male Buffalo
") joined the French military and was transferred to the Central African army at independence in 1960. He became a sub-lieutenant on 1 October 1964, a colonel, and then a Brigadier General on 3 April 1973. As a battalion commander, he was named Technical Adviser to the Minister of National Defense, Veterans and War Victims on 1 March 1977 as well as Aide-de-camp of His Imperial Majesty Bokassa I. Then he served briefly as the CAR's ambassador to Canada — replacing Sylvestre Bangui — and the Federal Republic of Germany before being named Minister of in March 1979. When Emperor Bokassa was overthrown in 1979 and David Dacko was restored to power by the French, General Kolingba gained Dacko's favor and was made Army Chief of Staff in July 1981.
and his entourage (Delayan 1985; Kalck 2004). The exact details of the plot may remain a mystery, but a French colonel named Jean-Claude Mantion served as the head of Kolingba's presidential guard for many years thereafter and was so powerful that he was often referred to in the CAR as "the president's president." The French supported Kolingba until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the democratization movement in Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s led to local, French and international pressure to hold presidential elections.
more corrupt than brutal until 1986, when he submitted a Constitution to a national referendum
. The Constitution was approved and an election was staged which resulted in Kolingba being named president for a period of six years, 1986–1992. In May 1986 Kolingba announced the establishment of a new party, the Central African Democratic Party (Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain) or (RDC).
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, internal and external pressures eventually forced Kolingba to adopt a more democratic approach. In March 1991 he agreed to share power with Edouard Frank
, who he named prime minister. He also established a commission to revise the constitution in order to promote pluralism. When he was finally forced by the donor community, notably a very vocal US ambassador, to hold fair elections, assisted by the UN Electoral Assistance Unit and monitored by international observers in 1992, he only won 10% of the vote and so he declared the elections invalid and had the Constitutional Council cancel the election. His presidential mandate was due to expire on 28 November 1992 and so he carried out a "constitutional coup d'état" and extended his presidential term for another 90 days.
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
(CAR), from 1 September 1981 until 1 October 1993. He took power from President David Dacko
David Dacko
David Dacko was the first President of the Central African Republic , from August 14, 1960 to January 1, 1966, and the third president of the CAR from September 21, 1979 to September 1, 1981...
in a bloodless coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1981 and lost power to Ange-Félix Patassé
Ange-Félix Patassé
Ange-Félix Patassé was a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 1993 until 2003, when he was deposed by the rebel leader François Bozizé...
in a democratic election held in 1993. Kolingba retained the strong support of France until the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, after which both internal and external pressure forced him to hold presidential elections which he lost.
His twelve-year term in office saw the growing influence of the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) and World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
in decisions by donor-nations regarding financial support and management of the Central African state. Many members of Kolingba's ethnic group, the Yakoma
Yakoma
Yakoma are an ethnic group in the Central African Republic who make up 4% of the population of the country or 160,000 people. André-Dieudonné Kolingba, president of the CAR from 1979 to 1993, was a member of this group. 10,000 also reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo....
, obtained lucrative posts in the public, private and parastatal sectors of the CAR's economy during his era. This gave rise to growing tension between so-called "southerners" (including the riverine Yakoma) and "northerners" (including the savanna Gbaya
Gbaya
Gbaya may refer to:*Gbaya people*Gbaya languages...
) in the CAR which led to violent confrontations between these groups during the Patassé era (1993–2003).
Early life and education
André-Dieudonné Kolingba was born on 12 August 1936 in Bangui, the capital of the French colony of Oubangui-ChariOubangui-Chari
Oubangui-Chari, or Ubangi-Shari, was a French territory in central Africa which later became the independent Central African Republic . French activity in the area began in 1889 with the establishment of an outpost at Bangui, now the capital of CAR. The territory was named in 1894.In 1903, French...
in French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
. A member of the riverine Yakoma ethnic group, Kolingba (meaning "Male Buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
") joined the French military and was transferred to the Central African army at independence in 1960. He became a sub-lieutenant on 1 October 1964, a colonel, and then a Brigadier General on 3 April 1973. As a battalion commander, he was named Technical Adviser to the Minister of National Defense, Veterans and War Victims on 1 March 1977 as well as Aide-de-camp of His Imperial Majesty Bokassa I. Then he served briefly as the CAR's ambassador to Canada — replacing Sylvestre Bangui — and the Federal Republic of Germany before being named Minister of in March 1979. When Emperor Bokassa was overthrown in 1979 and David Dacko was restored to power by the French, General Kolingba gained Dacko's favor and was made Army Chief of Staff in July 1981.
Overthrow of David Dacko
In September 1981, General Kolingba carried out a bloodless coup and took the place of David Dacko as head of state. He then served as President of the Military Committee for National Reconstruction from 1 September 1981 to 21 September 1985, and as President of the Republic and Head of State from 21 September 1985 until 22 October 1993. There has been considerable speculation about who supported Kolingba's seizure of power. It has been suggested that local French military advisers helped him carry out the coup without the authorization or knowledge of Socialist President François MitterrandFrançois Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
and his entourage (Delayan 1985; Kalck 2004). The exact details of the plot may remain a mystery, but a French colonel named Jean-Claude Mantion served as the head of Kolingba's presidential guard for many years thereafter and was so powerful that he was often referred to in the CAR as "the president's president." The French supported Kolingba until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the democratization movement in Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s led to local, French and international pressure to hold presidential elections.
Ruling years
After overthrowing Dacko in 1981, Kolingba established a Military Committee for National Reconstruction to rule the country, but in fact he ruled as a military dictatorDictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
more corrupt than brutal until 1986, when he submitted a Constitution to a national referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
. The Constitution was approved and an election was staged which resulted in Kolingba being named president for a period of six years, 1986–1992. In May 1986 Kolingba announced the establishment of a new party, the Central African Democratic Party (Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain) or (RDC).
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, internal and external pressures eventually forced Kolingba to adopt a more democratic approach. In March 1991 he agreed to share power with Edouard Frank
Edouard Frank
Édouard Frank is a Central African magistrate and political figure. He was Prime Minister of the Central African Republic from 15 March 1991 to 4 December 1992.Frank presided over the 1986–1987 trial of former Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa...
, who he named prime minister. He also established a commission to revise the constitution in order to promote pluralism. When he was finally forced by the donor community, notably a very vocal US ambassador, to hold fair elections, assisted by the UN Electoral Assistance Unit and monitored by international observers in 1992, he only won 10% of the vote and so he declared the elections invalid and had the Constitutional Council cancel the election. His presidential mandate was due to expire on 28 November 1992 and so he carried out a "constitutional coup d'état" and extended his presidential term for another 90 days.