Ange-Félix Patassé facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ange-Félix Patassé
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Patassé in c. 1960
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| 5th President of the Central African Republic | |
| In office October 22, 1993 – March 15, 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Enoch Derant Lakoué Jean-Luc Mandaba Gabriel Koyambounou Jean-Paul Ngoupandé Michel Gbezera-Bria Anicet-Georges Dologuélé Martin Ziguélé |
| Preceded by | André Kolingba |
| Succeeded by | François Bozizé |
| Prime Minister of the Central African Empire | |
| In office December 8, 1976 – July 14, 1978 |
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| Monarch | Bokassa I |
| Preceded by | Elisabeth Domitien |
| Succeeded by | Henri Maïdou |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 25, 1937 Paoua, Ouham-Pendé, Ubangi-Shari (now Central African Republic) |
| Died | April 5, 2011 (aged 74) Douala, Cameroon |
| Political party | Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MPLC) |
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Ange-Félix Patassé (born January 25, 1937 – died April 5, 2011) was a politician from the Central African Republic. He served as the country's President from 1993 to 2003. He was the first president in the Central African Republic's history to be chosen in a generally fair and democratic election in 1993. He was re-elected in 1999. However, his time in office faced many challenges, including military uprisings. In 2003, he was removed from power by a rebel leader named François Bozizé and went to live in another country.
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Early Life and Education
Ange-Félix Patassé was born in Paoua, a town in what was then called Ubangi-Shari. This area is now part of the Central African Republic. His family belonged to the Sara-Kaba ethnic group.
He went to school in Ubangi-Shari and later studied agriculture in France. He specialized in animal science. He finished his studies in 1959, just one year before the Central African Republic became an independent country.
Political Journey
Starting in Government (1960s–1970s)
Patassé began working for the government in 1959. He became an agricultural engineer and inspector. In 1965, he was made Director of Agriculture and Minister of Development.
In 1966, Jean-Bédel Bokassa took power. Patassé became a trusted person in Bokassa's government. He held many important roles, including Prime Minister from 1976 to 1978. During this time, he briefly changed his name to Mustafa Patassé. After two and a half years as Prime Minister, he left office due to health issues and went to France.
When Bokassa was overthrown in 1979, Patassé returned. However, he was put under house arrest. He tried to escape but was caught again. He was later released due to health reasons.
Return and Exile (1980s)
Patassé returned to the Central African Republic in 1981 to run for president. He came in second place, but he said the election results were not fair. Soon after, General André Kolingba took power and stopped all political activities.
Patassé left the country again. In 1982, he tried to lead a coup (a sudden takeover of the government) against Kolingba, but it failed. He then sought safety at the French Embassy and was allowed to go into exile in Togo. He stayed abroad for nearly ten years.
In 1992, Patassé came back to the Central African Republic. He planned to run for president again as the leader of the Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC) party. Many international groups were pushing for fair elections in the country.
Becoming President (1990s)
In 1993, new elections were held. Patassé won the second round of voting on September 19, 1993. This election was seen as fair and democratic, thanks to international support. When he became president on October 22, 1993, it was the first time in the country's history that a government peacefully handed over power to an opposition leader.
Patassé had strong support from people in the northwestern parts of the country, often called "northerners." Previous presidents had been from the southern regions. Patassé promised to represent the majority of the population. As president, he started to replace some "southerners" in government jobs with "northerners." This caused tension, especially with the Yakoma people.
During his first term (1993–1999), the country's economy improved a little with help from other countries. However, there were three military uprisings in 1996 and 1997. These events caused a lot of damage and hurt the economy. Patassé's government got help from France and other African countries to restore order. The United Nations also sent a peacekeeping mission called MINURCA in 1998. These uprisings made the divide between "northerners" and "southerners" even bigger.
In the 1999 presidential election, Patassé won easily in the first round. However, some opposition leaders claimed the elections were not fair. During his second term, Patassé faced more challenges and became less popular. There were attempts to overthrow him in 2001 and 2002. In March 2003, he was removed from power by General François Bozizé.
Later Years and Passing (2008–2011)
After being removed from office, Patassé lived in exile in Togo. He returned to the Central African Republic in December 2008 to take part in national discussions. He said he wanted to help find solutions for the country's problems.
In 2009, Patassé announced he would run for president again in the 2010 election. He returned to the capital, Bangui, in October 2009 and met with President Bozizé. He confirmed his intention to be a candidate.
In the January 2011 presidential election, Patassé came in second place, far behind Bozizé. He had been ill with diabetes, which made it hard for him to campaign. He passed away on April 5, 2011, in Douala, Cameroon, while traveling for medical treatment. There were calls for a state funeral to honor him.
Personal Life
While in exile in Togo from 1982 to 1992, Patassé separated from his first wife, Lucienne. He then married Angèle, a woman from Togo. During his later exile in Togo, starting in 2003, he lived with her. Angèle passed away in Lomé in December 2007 at the age of 52.
See also
In Spanish: Ange-Félix Patassé para niños
