Michel Djotodia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michel Djotodia
Djotodia in 2020
7th President of the Central African Republic
In office 24 March 2013 – 10 January 2014
Prime Minister	Nicolas Tiangaye
Preceded by	François Bozizé
Succeeded by	Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet (acting)
Personal details
Born	Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia 1949 (age 75–76) Gordil, Vakaga, French Equatorial Africa (now Central African Republic)
Political party	Union of Democratic Forces for Unity
Other political affiliations	Séléka
Spouse	Chantal Djotodia ​ (m. 2012)​
Signature

Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia (born around 1949) is a politician from the Central African Republic. He served as the country's President from 2013 to 2014. He was the first Muslim leader in this mostly Christian nation. Djotodia led a group of rebels called Séléka, who were mostly Muslim. They fought against President François Bozizé in late 2012. After a peace deal, Djotodia became a top government official. But the peace did not last. Séléka took control of the capital city, Bangui, and Djotodia became president in March 2013. He promised to lead the country to new elections and not run himself. However, his time in office saw more fighting between different groups. Because of this, other leaders in the region asked him to step down, which he did in January 2014.

Early Life and Education

Michel Djotodia was born in a place called Gordil, in the Vakaga region of what is now the Central African Republic. This was around 1949. He is a Muslim and belongs to the Gula people. This means he is part of a smaller religious group in a country where most people are Christian.

He lived in the Soviet Union for about 10 years. While there, he studied at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. He learned to speak Russian very well. He also got married and had children during his time there. When he returned home, people saw him as a smart and educated person. He spoke many languages, including French, Sango, and his native Gula.

Even though he wanted to be involved in politics, not many people knew him outside his home region. He worked for the government as a tax official in the 1980s. He also worked in the Ministry of Planning and later the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For a while, he was the Central African Republic's consul (a type of diplomat) in the city of Nyala in Sudan.

Becoming a Rebel Leader

Djotodia soon became involved with rebel groups. In 2006, he helped start and lead a group called the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity. During this time, he lived away from his home country in Cotonou, Benin. In November 2006, he was arrested in Benin along with his spokesman. This happened because the government of President François Bozizé asked for it. They were set free in February 2008 after they agreed to talk about peace with the government.

The Séléka Rebellion

In December 2012, Djotodia was a main leader of the Séléka rebel group. This group quickly took control of a large part of the country. In January 2013, peace talks were held. President Bozizé agreed to let the opposition choose a prime minister. He also agreed to let rebels join the government.

After these talks, a new government was formed on February 3, 2013. It was led by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye. This government included people who supported Bozizé, people from the opposition, and rebels. Djotodia was given an important job as the First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense.

Taking Power as President

The peace agreement did not last. In March 2013, Séléka started taking over towns again. They said that President Bozizé had not kept his promises. The rebels stopped their five ministers, including Djotodia, from going to the capital, Bangui. Djotodia said that his soldiers made this decision, not him. Some people thought that while Djotodia might have been happy with his new job, other Séléka members wanted to take full control.

After several days of fighting, the rebels captured Bangui on March 24, 2013. This forced President Bozizé to leave the country. Djotodia then announced that he was the new President. He said there would be a three-year period to get the country ready for new elections. He also said that Nicolas Tiangaye would continue to be Prime Minister.

Djotodia quickly stopped the country's constitution and ended the government and the National Assembly. He then appointed Tiangaye as Prime Minister again on March 27, 2013. Top military and police leaders met with Djotodia and accepted him as President. A new government was formed on March 31, 2013, with Djotodia still in charge of defense.

On April 3, 2013, African leaders met in Chad. They said they did not accept Djotodia as President. Instead, they suggested forming a council to lead the country and holding new elections in 18 months, not three years. On April 4, Djotodia's Information Minister said that Djotodia had accepted these ideas. However, he also hinted that Djotodia could stay in power if he was chosen to lead the new council. So, on April 6, Djotodia signed a paper to create a transitional council. This council would act like a temporary parliament. Its job was to choose an interim (temporary) president to serve for 18 months until new elections.

The transitional council had 105 members. They met for the first time on April 13, 2013. They immediately chose Djotodia as the interim President. He was the only person running for the job. A few days later, leaders from the region publicly accepted Djotodia's temporary leadership. But to show their disapproval, they said he would be called "Head of State of the Transition," not "President of the Republic." According to the plan, Djotodia would not be a candidate in the election that would end this transition period.

In the months after Séléka took over, the group was criticized for continuing to harm people. Djotodia officially became President on August 18, 2013. On that day, he said he hoped to be "the last of my countrymen to have to take up arms in order to come to power." He also promised again that he would not run for president in the future.

How the Government Made Money

Djotodia's government was looked at closely by groups like Global Witness. This was because of deals it made with companies that cut down trees for wood. Some companies reportedly paid money illegally to the government. They also paid Séléka fighters each month to protect their businesses. One company even paid a large "advance" directly to Djotodia's government. Reports from the United Nations Security Council said that illegal logging increased under Djotodia's government. Logging trucks were also forced to pay illegal taxes.

Besides wood, the Central African Republic's economy relies a lot on diamonds and gold from mining. The sale of rough diamonds was temporarily stopped by a group called the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. This was because of worries about illegal trading by Séléka and other groups. However, illegal trading of both diamonds and gold continued. Séléka members were actively involved in this. Séléka also hunted elephants and sold their ivory illegally to other countries. The UN report said that hunting animals illegally and selling them was a "central" part of the Séléka rebellion.

Resignation

Fighting between different groups of people continued to get worse. Djotodia faced pressure from leaders in the region and from other countries. This was because he seemed unable to control the situation. Djotodia resigned as President at a meeting held in N'Djamena on January 10, 2014. He then went to live in Benin on January 11. Benin's Foreign Minister welcomed him at the airport. He said that Benin took Djotodia in because other countries in the region asked them to. This was to help find peace in central Africa.

In July 2014, Séléka announced that Djotodia was again their leader.

See also

In Spanish: Michel Djotodia para niños