François Bozizé facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
François Bozizé
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Bozizé in 2007
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| 6th President of the Central African Republic | |
| In office 15 March 2003 – 24 March 2013 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Vice President | Abel Goumba (2003–2005) |
| Preceded by | Ange-Félix Patassé |
| Succeeded by | Michel Djotodia |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office ? – March 2003 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
François Bozizé Yangouvonda
14 October 1946 Mouila, French Equatorial Africa (now Gabon) |
| Political party | National Convergence "Kwa Na Kwa" |
| Spouse | Monique Bozizé |
| Signature |  |
François Bozizé Yangouvonda (born 14 October 1946) is a politician from the Central African Republic. He served as the President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013. He was the only Central African president born in what is now Gabon.
Bozizé became a high-ranking army officer in the 1970s. This was during the rule of Jean-Bédel Bokassa. After Bokassa was removed from power, Bozizé worked in the government. He was the Minister of Defense from 1979 to 1981. He also served as Minister of Information from 1981 to 1982. He tried to overthrow President André Kolingba in 1982 but failed. After this, he had to leave the country.
Years later, he became the Army Chief of Staff under President Ange-Félix Patassé. However, he started a rebellion against Patassé in 2001. Bozizé's forces took control of the capital city, Bangui, in March 2003. This happened while Patassé was out of the country. Bozizé then took power and led a temporary government. He won the presidential election in 2005 and was re-elected in 2011.
In December 2012, the Central African Republic faced a new uprising. Rebel groups said Bozizé's government did not keep peace promises. These promises were made after an earlier conflict in 2007. On 24 March 2013, Bozizé fled to Cameroon. This happened after rebel forces attacked Bangui and took over the presidential palace.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
François Bozizé was born in what is now Gabon. He is a member of the Gbaya people. He went to a military training college in the Central African province of Bouar. He became a second lieutenant in 1969. By 1975, he was a captain. In 1978, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who was then the Emperor, made him a Brigadier General.
After Bokassa was removed from power in 1979, Bozizé became the Minister of Defense. Later, in September 1981, André Kolingba took power. Bozizé was then made Minister of Information. However, he was involved in a failed attempt to overthrow Kolingba in March 1982. After this, he fled to the northern part of the country with about 100 soldiers. He then found safety in France.
Bozizé was arrested in Cotonou, Benin, in July 1989. He was put on trial by Kolingba for helping the coup attempt. He was found not guilty in September 1991 and released from prison in December. He then went back to France for almost two years.
Working with President Patassé
For many years, Bozizé was seen as a supporter of President Patassé. He helped Patassé stop army rebellions in 1996 and 1997. Bozizé was made the Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces. He often helped put down revolts against the president.
However, on 28 May 2001, there was an attempt to overthrow Patassé. This attempt was stopped with help from troops from Libya and rebels from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After this, people started to question Bozizé's loyalty. In late October 2001, he was removed from his position as Army Chief of Staff.
Fighting started when the government tried to arrest Bozizé on 3 November. After five days of fighting, government forces, helped by Libyan troops, took over the army base where Bozizé was. Bozizé then fled north to Chad. Fighting between government forces and Bozizé's rebels continued into 2002. During this time, there were tensions between Chad and Patassé's government. Patassé's party accused Chad's president, Idriss Déby, of helping Bozizé.
Taking Power and Becoming President
On 15 March 2003, Bozizé finally succeeded in taking power. His forces entered Bangui without a fight. President Patassé was returning from a meeting at the time. However, his plane could not land because Bozizé's forces controlled the airport. Patassé found safety in Cameroon and then Togo.
On 23 March, Bozizé named Abel Goumba as his Prime Minister. In December, he made Goumba Vice-President. He then appointed Célestin Gaombalet as Prime Minister. Bozizé also stopped the country's 1995 constitution after taking power. A new constitution was approved by voters in a special vote in December 2004.
After taking power, Bozizé first said he would not run in the next presidential election. But after the new constitution was approved, he announced his plan to run on 11 December. He said he felt it was his duty to help rebuild the country.
After Bozizé took power, a new conflict began. This was called the Central African Republic Bush War. It started with a rebellion by the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR). This group was led by Michel Djotodia. The fighting grew quickly in 2004.
In December 2004, a new constitution was approved. This constitution allowed for a semi-presidential system and a two-term limit for the president.
On 30 December 2004, Bozizé was one of five candidates allowed to run in the 2005 presidential election. On 4 January 2005, Bozizé announced that three more candidates would be allowed to run. However, former president Patassé was still not allowed. The elections were also delayed by one month, from February to March.
Bozizé came in first in the 13 March election. He received just under 43% of the votes. He then faced Martin Ziguélé, Patassé's last prime minister, in a second round of voting. This second round was held on 8 May. Official results showed that Bozizé won with 64.6% of the votes. He was sworn in as president on 11 June.
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Besides being president, Bozizé also served as the Minister of National Defense. He kept this role when he appointed a new government in June 2005. He also kept it after a government change in September 2006.
In early 2006, Bozizé's government seemed stable. However, Patassé, who was living in exile, was still a concern. His supporters were reportedly joining rebel groups. They believed Patassé was still the rightful leader. Also, members of Kolingba's Yakoma tribe posed a threat. They had largely boycotted the second round of legislative elections. Many Yakoma people were in the army.
On 13 April 2007, a peace agreement was signed between the government and the UFDR. This agreement offered forgiveness for the UFDR. It also recognized them as a political party. Their fighters were to join the army. More talks led to an agreement in 2008 for peace and a shared government. Local elections were planned for 2009, and national elections for 2010. A new shared government was formed in January 2009.
In January 2008, Bozizé faced a strike over unpaid wages for government workers. He then appointed a new government led by Faustin-Archange Touadéra. Touadéra was an academic and not well-known in politics. In this new government, Bozizé kept the defense role. He also appointed his son, Francis Bozizé, to work under him as a Minister-Delegate. His sister, Yvonne M'Boïssona, was also reappointed to a government role. His nephew, Sylvain Ndoutingai, served as Minister of State for Mines, Energy, and Water Resources.
In February 2010, Kolingba died in France. In early March, Bozizé led his burial ceremony in Bangui. That same week, Bozizé signed a decree setting the date for the next presidential election. It was to be held on 25 April 2010.
The elections were first delayed to 16 May, and then put off indefinitely. Parliament was asked to change the constitution. This would allow the President to stay in power until elections could be held. Some people saw this delay as a "constitutional coup." They did not expect elections to happen soon. However, elections were held in January and March 2011. Bozizé and his party both won these elections.
Challenges During His Presidency
After François Bozizé took power in March 2003, a rebellion started. This soon turned into a civil war. The rebels, now called the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR), were led by Michel Djotodia. He would later take power in a coup in 2013. Even before the bush war began in 2004, the Central African Republic was becoming unstable.
In April 2004, security forces reportedly killed eight "Liberators." These were fighters from Chad who had helped Bozizé take power in 2003. Before the killings, these Chadian fighters had caused trouble. They looted homes and demanded payment from President Bozizé for their help. The President reportedly paid each Liberator $1,000 before they supposedly returned to Chad.
During Bozizé's first year, many parts of the country faced insecurity. The government was greatly affected by the threat of conflict. In April 2004, the government sent 200 soldiers to fight crime in the northern provinces. Some human rights groups believed that many armed groups were the same rebels and mercenaries who helped Bozizé. They thought this was because Bozizé had not been able to pay them.
Between 2006 and 2007, President François Bozizé held talks with rebel groups. He also spoke with political opponents to try to end the fighting. He signed peace agreements with two rebel groups. However, instability in the country continued to grow.
Further talks in 2008 led to an agreement for peace and a shared government. Local elections were planned for 2009, and national elections for 2010.
During this war, many people were killed. Homes were burned, and villages were destroyed. Many people also lacked basic needs like drinking water. Around 10,000 people were forced to leave their homes because of the unrest.
National Development and Economy
The Central African Republic has many minerals and a lot of good land for farming. However, many people in the country lived in poverty during Bozizé's presidency. The average lifespan for men also went down. In 2009, the country's average income per person was very low, at just $456.
Some say this was because Bozizé focused mainly on himself. This made living conditions worse for people. Businesses were destroyed, and corruption increased under his rule. Diamond smuggling also became more common.
Foreign Relations with Chad
In April 2006, rebels from Chad used the Central African Republic as a path to attack Chad. These rebels were based in Darfur, Sudan. Bozizé responded by closing the border between Sudan and the Central African Republic.
Civil War and His Fall from Power
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On 10 December 2012, a rebel group called the Séléka took control of several towns. "Séléka" means "coalition." Rebels fought with government troops for over an hour before taking the town of N'Délé. On 27 December, Bozizé asked for international help to deal with the rebellion. He specifically asked France and the United States. However, French President François Hollande said that French troops in Bangui were not there to get involved in the country's internal issues.
On 11 January 2013, a ceasefire agreement was signed in Libreville, Gabon. The rebels dropped their demand for Bozizé to resign. But he had to appoint a new prime minister from the opposition party by 18 January 2013. On 13 January, Bozizé signed a decree removing Prime Minister Touadéra from power as part of the agreement. On 17 January, Nicolas Tiangaye was appointed prime minister.
By 22 March, however, the rebels started advancing again. They accused Bozizé of not keeping his promises from the January ceasefire. They took towns across the Central African Republic. They got within 22 kilometers of Bangui. They were stopped by an attack helicopter. However, a rebel spokesman claimed they shot down the helicopter.
On 24 March, rebel forces heavily attacked Bangui. They took control of important buildings, including the presidential palace. Bozizé's family fled across the river to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They then went to Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, where Bozizé was given temporary safety. He later asked Benin for political asylum.
Life in Exile and Later Elections
Bozizé was forced to leave the country after being overthrown by Djotodia in a coup in 2013. While in exile, Bozizé went to Cameroon. He was given a place to stay by Paul Biya, the president of Cameroon. An arrest warrant was issued for Bozizé on May 30, 2013. He was accused of various serious actions, including arrests, kidnappings, and the destruction of many homes.
Bozizé's political party, Kwa Na Kwa, announced on 10 August 2015 that he would return to the country. They said he would run as a candidate in the October 2015 presidential election. However, on 8 December 2015, the Constitutional Court announced the list of approved candidates. Bozizé, who was still in exile, was not allowed to run. The official reasons were that he was not registered to vote. Also, he had agreed not to run again as part of a peace agreement in January 2013.
After this news, there were reports of gunfire in parts of Bangui. His supporters reacted angrily. The KNK party said that Bozizé's exclusion was due to "pressure from inside and outside the country." Many of his supporters claimed the French government was involved in the decision.
At the end of 2019, Bozizé returned to the Central African Republic. He announced his plan to run for president in the upcoming elections. However, on 3 December 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that Bozizé did not meet the "good morality" requirement for candidates. This was because of an international arrest warrant and United Nations actions against him. The government then accused Bozizé of planning another coup.
On 22 September 2023, Bozizé, who had fled to Chad and then to Guinea-Bissau, was sentenced in his absence to life in prison. This was for crimes that were not specified. On 30 April 2024, a special court in Bangui issued an international arrest warrant for him. This was for human rights abuses that happened during his time as president. However, Guinea-Bissau, where Bozizé lives, does not allow for people to be sent back to other countries for trial.
Images for kids
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François Bozizé's signature
See also
In Spanish: François Bozizé para niños
