Nicolas Tiangaye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicolas Tiangaye
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| Prime Minister of the Central African Republic | |
| In office 17 January 2013 – 10 January 2014 |
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| President | François Bozizé Michel Djotodia (Transitional from 18 August 2013) |
| Preceded by | Faustin-Archange Touadéra |
| Succeeded by | André Nzapayeké |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 September 1956 Bocaranga, Ubangi-Shari (now Central African Republic) |
| Political party | Independent |
Nicolas Tiangaye (born 13 September 1956) is a lawyer and politician from the Central African Republic. He served as the Prime Minister of the Central African Republic from January 2013 to January 2014. Before that, he was the President of the National Transitional Council from 2003 to 2005.
In January 2013, after a peace agreement between the government and rebel groups, Nicolas Tiangaye was chosen by the opposition and rebels to become Prime Minister. He stepped down from his role on January 10, 2014, at the same time as President Michel Djotodia.
Early Life and Becoming a Lawyer
Nicolas Tiangaye was born in Bocaranga in 1956. He studied hard and became a lawyer. Lawyers help people with legal problems and represent them in court.
Defending Important Cases
As a lawyer, Tiangaye took on some very important cases.
- In 1986, he was one of three lawyers who defended the former emperor Jean-Bedél Bokassa during his trial.
- In 1989, he defended François Bozizé, who was accused of planning against the government. Bozizé was found not guilty. Years later, even when they became political rivals, Tiangaye said he was just doing his job as a lawyer.
- He also defended Jean-Paul Akayesu at an international court in 1996.
- In 2001, he defended Jean-Jacques Demafouth, a former defense minister, who was accused of plotting against President Ange-Félix Patassé. Demafouth was also found not guilty.
During President Patassé's time, Tiangaye was offered the job of Prime Minister, but he chose not to take it.
Working for Human Rights
Nicolas Tiangaye cared deeply about human rights. He was the President of the Central African Human Rights League (LCDH) from when it started in 1991 until 2004. This group worked to protect people's rights in the country.
A Role in Government
After François Bozizé took power in March 2003, a special group called the National Transitional Council (CNT) was created. This group was like a temporary parliament. Nicolas Tiangaye was chosen as one of its 98 members because of his work in human rights.
Leading the Transitional Council
On June 14, 2003, Tiangaye was elected as the President of the CNT. In this role, he helped write the country's new constitution in 2004. This constitution included a rule that a president could only serve two terms. Some leaders, like Bozizé, were not happy about this rule.
The CNT worked for two years, helping the country prepare for new elections in 2005.
Standing for Election
In the 2005 elections, Tiangaye ran to become a member of parliament. However, the election results showed he lost by a small number of votes. This caused some protests among his supporters. Tiangaye asked everyone to stay calm to avoid more trouble. He later said the election was unfair.
Speaking for Change
In 2010, Tiangaye became a spokesperson for a group called the Forces of Change Collective. This group included different political parties and former rebel groups. They wanted the presidential and parliamentary elections to be delayed because they felt the conditions were not fair. Tiangaye said that if the elections happened too soon, they would not be trustworthy. President Bozizé later agreed to delay the elections.
Becoming Prime Minister
In December 2012, a group of rebels called Séléka started fighting against the army. They quickly took control of many parts of the Central African Republic and moved towards the capital city, Bangui. This created a very difficult situation for President Bozizé's government.
Peace Talks and New Leadership
Peace talks were held in January 2013 in Libreville. Nicolas Tiangaye led the group representing the political opposition. An agreement was reached on January 11, 2013. This agreement allowed President Bozizé to stay in office for a while longer. But it also said that a new Prime Minister would be chosen by his opponents, and the government would include people from the opposition and the rebels.
On January 13, 2013, opposition leaders all agreed that Nicolas Tiangaye should be the new Prime Minister. The Séléka rebels also supported this choice.
Taking Office
President Bozizé officially appointed Tiangaye as Prime Minister on January 17, 2013. Tiangaye said there was "hard work" ahead but also "peace on the horizon." He stressed that the new government needed to bring peace to the country and reorganize the army. He also said he wanted to work well with the president.
The peace agreement planned for new parliamentary elections after one year. The next presidential election was set for 2016. Both Bozizé and Tiangaye would not be allowed to run for president at that time.
Forming a New Government
After Tiangaye became Prime Minister, negotiations began to form a new government. On February 3, 2013, the new government was announced. It included people who supported Bozizé, members of the rebel groups, and members of the political opposition. The rebel leader, Michel Djotodia, became the First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense. Tiangaye himself also took on the role of Minister of Finance.
Challenges and Resignation
However, the peace agreement did not last. In March 2013, the Séléka rebels started taking over towns again. They said Bozizé had not kept his promises. After more fighting, the rebels captured Bangui on March 24, 2013. President Bozizé had to leave the country, and Djotodia became the new President.
Djotodia said there would be a three-year period of transition. He reappointed Nicolas Tiangaye as Prime Minister on March 27, 2013. Tiangaye was respected by many who opposed Bozizé, including political parties and rebels, as well as international observers.
A new government with 34 members was appointed on March 31, 2013. Djotodia kept the defense role for himself. The new government included members from Séléka, the opposition, and some people from civil society groups. However, some of the former opposition parties were unhappy, saying that Séléka had too much control.
The situation in the country became very difficult, with growing unrest. By late 2013, leaders from other countries put pressure on Djotodia because he seemed unable to control the situation. The relationship between Tiangaye and Djotodia also became very strained. Under pressure from regional leaders, both Nicolas Tiangaye and Michel Djotodia resigned at a meeting on January 10, 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Nicolas Tiangaye para niños
