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History of Central African Republic
From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Central African Republic.
Overview
The C.A.R. appears to have been settled from at least the 7th century on by overlapping empires, including the Kanem-Bornou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, and Dafour groups based in Lake Chad and the Upper Nile. Later, various sultanates claimed present-day C.A.R, using the entire Oubangui region as a slave reservoir, from which slaves were traded north across the Sahara and to West Africa for export by European traders.
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Historical Eras
The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.
Pre-Colonial Era
700 – 1885
The region was settled from at least the 7th century and shaped by overlapping empires including Kanem-Bornou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, and Darfur, all centered around Lake Chad and the Upper Nile. Successive sultanates exploited the Oubangui basin as a slave reservoir, trading captives northward across the Sahara and westward to European traders. Population migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries introduced the Zande, Banda, and Baya-Mandjia peoples into the territory.
French Colonial Rule
1885 – 1958
France secured the right bank of the Oubangui River by convention in 1887, established Bangui as an outpost in 1889, and formally organized Oubangui-Chari as a territory in 1894. By 1910 it was incorporated into the Federation of French Equatorial Africa alongside Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, and Gabon. The following decades were marked by indigenous resistance, plantation-economy abuses, and eventual post-war reforms granting citizenship and local assemblies to colonial subjects.
Independence & Dacko
1958 – 1966
The Central African Republic was proclaimed on December 1, 1958, under Barthélemy Boganda, the independence movement's most prominent leader, who died in a plane crash in March 1959. His cousin David Dacko succeeded him and presided over full independence on August 13, 1960. Dacko's government struggled to build stable institutions and was ultimately ousted in a swift, nearly bloodless coup on January 1, 1966.
Bokassa & Military Rule
1966 – 1993
Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa seized power in 1966, abolished the constitution, and in 1976 crowned himself Emperor Bokassa I, transforming the republic into a monarchy in an extravagant ceremony funded largely by France. His regime was defined by severe human rights abuses, culminating in the massacre of schoolchildren in 1979, which prompted a French-backed coup restoring David Dacko. A succession of military governments followed, including General André Kolingba's rule from 1981, before multiparty politics were gradually permitted beginning in 1991.
Civilian Rule & Instability
1993 – 2003
Democratic elections in 1993 brought Ange-Félix Patassé to the presidency, marking the country's first genuine civilian government and a decade of nominal constitutional rule. The period was nonetheless turbulent, featuring army mutinies in 1996–1997, regional peacekeeping interventions, and persistent economic decline. A military coup led by General François Bozizé in March 2003 ended Patassé's government and returned the country to authoritarian rule.
Bozizé & Modern CAR
2003 – present
General François Bozizé established a transitional government after his 2003 coup, overseeing a new constitution approved by referendum in 2004 and elections in 2005. The country remained deeply fractured, with the central government unable to control large swaths of territory, and a devastating civil conflict erupting in 2012–2013 between the Séléka rebel coalition and Anti-Balaka militias. International peacekeeping missions, including the UN's MINUSCA force deployed in 2014, have struggled to restore stability amid ongoing violence and a humanitarian crisis.
Timeline Preview
The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.
1880
France annexes the area.
France annexes the area.
1894
France sets up a dependency in the area called Ubangi-Chari.
France sets up a dependency in the area called Ubangi-Chari and partitions it among commercial concessionaires.
1910
Ubangi-Chari becomes part of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa.
Ubangi-Chari becomes part of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa.
1920 – 1930
Indigenous Africans stage violent protests against abuses by concessionaires.
Indigenous Africans stage violent protests against abuses by concessionaires.
1946
The territory is given its own assembly and representation in the French parliament.
The territory is given its own assembly and representation in the French parliament; Barthelemy Boganda, founder of the pro-independence Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa (MESAN), becomes the first Central African to be elected to the French parliament.
1960
The Central African Republic becomes independent.
The Central African Republic becomes independent with David Dacko, nephew of Boganda, as president.
1991
Political parties permitted to form.
Political parties permitted to form.