Abel Goumba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abel Goumba
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Goumba c. 1960
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| 2nd Vice President of the Central African Republic | |
| In office 12 December 2003 – 15 March 2005 |
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| President | François Bozizé |
| Preceded by | Henri Maïdou (1980) |
| Succeeded by | Post abolished |
| Prime Minister of the Central African Republic | |
| In office 15 March 2003 – 11 December 2003 |
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| President | François Bozizé |
| Preceded by | Martin Ziguélé |
| Succeeded by | Célestin Gaombalet |
| Acting Prime Minister of Ubangi-Shari | |
| In office 30 March 1959 – 30 April 1959 |
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| Preceded by | Barthélemy Boganda |
| Succeeded by | David Dacko |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Abel Nguéndé Goumba
18 September 1926 Grimari, Ubangi-Uaka, Ubangi-Shari (present-day Ouaka, Central African Republic) |
| Died | 11 May 2009 (aged 82) Bangui, Central African Republic |
| Political party | Patriotic Front for Progress (from 1972) |
| Other political affiliations |
MESAN (until 1960) |
| Signature |  |
Abel Nguéndé Goumba (born September 18, 1926 – died May 11, 2009) was an important politician from the Central African Republic. He led the government before his country became independent from France in the late 1950s. After independence, he tried to become President of the Central African Republic four times but was not successful.
Goumba was the leader of the Patriotic Front for Progress (FPP) political party. He worked with President François Bozizé, first as Prime Minister from March to December 2003. Then, he became Vice President from December 2003 to March 2005. Later, he was given the special job of Ombudsman, which means he helped people with their complaints against the government.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Abel Goumba was born in 1926 in a place called Grimari. This area was part of the French colony known as Oubangi-Chari, which is now the Central African Republic. He studied hard and became a qualified medical doctor. He also worked as a teacher at the medical school in Bangui, the capital city.
Starting in Politics
Even when the Central African Republic was still a French colony, Abel Goumba was involved in government. He held several important positions:
- He was Vice-President of the Government Council from May 1957 to July 1958.
- He became President of the Government Council from July 1958 to December 1958.
- For a short time in April 1959, he was the acting Prime Minister. This happened after the previous leader, Barthélemy Boganda, died in a plane crash.
In 1959, another politician named David Dacko became more powerful than Goumba. Goumba then became a leader of a smaller opposition party. From 1960 to 1980, he lived outside the country, mostly in France. During the 1970s, he worked for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Rwanda and then in Benin. While in Rwanda, he met his wife, Anne-Marie Goumba.
Even after he returned to the Central African Republic, he was sometimes arrested because of his political activities. He often disagreed with the presidents of the Central African Republic until 2003.
His Reputation and Elections in the 1990s
Abel Goumba was known for being honest and having strong moral values. He always believed it was very important for the government to be free of corruption.
He ran for president several times. In the 1981 election, he received less than 2% of the votes. However, in the 1993 presidential election, he did much better. He came in second place and went to a second round of voting against Ange-Félix Patassé. Goumba received about 46% of the votes in that round, but Patassé won. In the 1999 election, Goumba did not get as many votes, coming in fourth place.
Working with President Bozizé
After François Bozizé took power on March 15, 2003, he chose Abel Goumba to be his Prime Minister on March 23. Goumba's government was formed on March 31, 2003. This government was a mix of people from Bozizé's side and Goumba's side, along with other political leaders and skilled individuals. Goumba himself also took on the role of Minister of Finance.
However, the National Transitional Council (CNT), which was a temporary parliament, did not approve Goumba's plans for the country in November 2003. They said his plans were not clear enough. Goumba planned to present a new, improved plan. But on December 11, 2003, President Bozizé removed him from the Prime Minister position. The very next day, Célestin Gaombalet became the new Prime Minister. Goumba was then appointed as Vice-President instead.
Presidential Election in 2005
Abel Goumba ran for president for the fourth time in the election held on March 13, 2005. He was not expected to win, and he finished in sixth place with about 2.5% of the votes.
On March 14, 2005, the day after the election, Goumba and other opposition politicians signed a statement. They claimed that there had been cheating in the election. On March 15, before the election results were even announced, President Bozizé removed Goumba from his role as Vice-President. The position of Vice-President was then ended. A spokesperson for the president said this was because the country's new constitution, adopted in December 2004, did not include a Vice-President. He also said that Bozizé thanked Goumba for his help during the changeover.
Goumba was upset about how he was dismissed. He said he found out about it from the radio and had not been told directly. He believed that temporary government roles, like the Vice-Presidency, should have continued until a new, elected government was in place.
Goumba also ran for a seat in the parliament from Kouango in the 2005 election, but he lost. However, his wife, Anne-Marie, won a seat in the parliament.
Later Life and Retirement
In March 2006, Abel Goumba's son, Alexandre, was chosen to take over as the leader of his father's political party, the Patriotic Front for Progress (FPP). This happened after Abel Goumba was appointed to the official role of Ombudsman. As Ombudsman, he encouraged the government to talk with a rebel group after they took control of a town called Birao in October 2006.
On January 14, 2007, he presented the first part of his life story, or memoirs. This book covered the years from 1956 to 1959.
Abel Goumba passed away on May 11, 2009, at the age of 82. He died at a clinic in Bangui after being taken to the hospital the night before.
See Also
- Politics of the Central African Republic
Images for kids
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Abel Goumba's signature
