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131-765: Bangui ( French pronunciation: [bɑ̃ɡi] ; or Bangî in Sango , formerly written Bangi in English) is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic . It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi River ( French : Oubangui ); the Ubangi itself was named from the Bobangi word for the "rapids" located beside

262-758: A tirailleur on 19 May 1939. The Second World War broke out in September 1939 following his enlistment. While serving in the second bataillon de marche , Bokassa became a corporal in July 1940, and a sergeant major in November 1941. After the occupation of France by Nazi Germany , he served with an African unit of the Free French Forces and took part in the capture of the Vichy government 's capital at Brazzaville. On 15 August 1944, he participated in

393-499: A Ngbandi -based creole; however, others (like Marcel Diki-Kidiri, Charles H. Morrill) reject that classification and say that changes in Sango structures (both internally and externally) can be explained quite well without a creolization process. According to the creolization hypothesis, Sango is exceptional in that it is an African- rather than European-based creole. Although French has contributed numerous loanwords, Sango's structure

524-426: A minister of state . Cognizant of the president's intentions, Banza increased his voicing of dissenting political views. A year later, after Banza made a number of remarks highly critical of Bokassa and his management of the economy, the president, perceiving an immediate threat to his power, demoted him from his minister of state position. Banza revealed his intention to stage a coup to Lieutenant Jean-Claude Mandaba,

655-472: A xylophone , is made out of the horns of animals. Innovative designs include butterfly wings stuck with gum on paper, and ebony and hardwood carvings of wood from the tropical region. Artwork also covers carved animals and human figures. The crafts center in Bangui provides training to about 100 students in artistic crafting in leather , ivory and ebony wares. Bangui has a rich music tradition and showcases

786-606: A "friend and family member" of Bokassa. By that time, France supplied its former colony's regime with financial and military backing. In exchange, Bokassa frequently took Giscard on hunting trips in the CAR and supplied France with uranium , which was vital for France's nuclear energy and weapons program in the Cold War era. Bokassa restored ties with PRC and visited China in 1976. The "friendly and fraternal" cooperation with France—according to Bokassa's own terms—reached its peak with

917-435: A Cabinet meeting where Bokassa slashed him with a razor. Guards then beat Banza until his back was broken, dragged him through the streets of Bangui and finally shot him." The French daily evening newspaper Le Monde reported that Banza was killed in circumstances "so revolting that it still makes one's flesh creep": Two versions concerning the end circumstances of his death differ on one minor detail. Did Bokassa tie him to

1048-585: A French-language education at the École Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc , a Christian mission school in Mbaïki. As a child, he was frequently taunted by his classmates about his orphanhood. He was short in stature and physically strong. In his studies, Bokassa became especially fond of a French grammar book by an author named Jean Bédel. His teachers noticed his attachment, and started calling him "Jean-Bédel." During his teenage years, Bokassa studied at École Saint-Louis in Bangui, under Father Grüner. Grüner educated him with

1179-500: A coup against Dacko. Dacko sent Bokassa to Paris as part of the CAR's delegation for the Bastille Day celebrations in July 1965. After attending the celebrations and a 23 July ceremony to mark the closing of a military officer training school he had attended decades earlier, Bokassa decided to return to the CAR. However, Dacko forbade his return, and the infuriated Bokassa spent the next few months trying to obtain support from

1310-419: A creolization process. It has many French loanwords, but its structure remains wholly Ngbandi. Sango was used as a lingua franca for trade along the Ubangi River before French colonisation in the late 1800s and has since expanded as an interethnic communication language. In colloquial speech, almost all of the language's vocabulary is Ngbandi based, whereas in more technical speech French loanwords constitute

1441-408: A daughter, Bokassa had the child registered as a French national. Bokassa left Indochina without his wife and child, as he believed he would return for another tour of duty in the near future. Upon his return to France, Bokassa was stationed at Fréjus, where he taught radio transmissions to African recruits. In 1956, he was promoted to second lieutenant , and two years later to lieutenant . Bokassa

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1572-582: A diagnostic definition of AIDS which came to be known as the Bangui definition for AIDS. The conference defined symptoms of AIDS in Africa as "prolonged fever for a month or more, weight loss of over 10% and prolonged diarrhea". The Bangui definition proved problematic as immune suppression can also be caused by malnutrition . Several periodicals and three daily newspapers are published in Bangui: E le Songo ,

1703-567: A general amnesty declared in 1981. Bokassa claimed that the new empire would be a constitutional monarchy . In practice, however, he retained the same dictatorial powers he had held for the past decade as President Bokassa, and the country remained a military dictatorship . Suppression of dissenters remained widespread, and torture was said to be especially rampant. Rumours abounded that Bokassa himself occasionally participated in beatings and executions. By January 1979, French support for Bokassa had all but eroded after food riots in Bangui led to

1834-399: A half before midnight, Banza gave orders to his officers to begin the coup. Bokassa called Izamo at his headquarters and asked him to come to Camp de Roux to sign some documents that needed his immediate attention. Izamo, who was at a New Year's Eve celebration with friends, reluctantly agreed and travelled to the camp. Upon arrival, he was confronted by Banza and Bokassa, who informed him of

1965-561: A lingua franca based on the Northern Ngbandi dialect of the Sango tribe, part of the Ngbandi language cluster , with some French influence. The rapid growth of the city of Bangui since the 1960s has had significant implications for the development of Sango, with the creation, for the first time, of a population of first-language speakers. Whereas rural immigrants to the city spoke many different languages and used Sango only as

2096-530: A lingua franca, their children use Sango as their main (and sometimes only) language. That has led to a rapid expansion of the lexicon, including both formal and slang terms. Also, its new position as the everyday language of the capital city has led to Sango gaining greater status and being used increasingly in fields for which it was previously the norm to use French. Sango is widespread in the Central African Republic, with 350,000 speakers at

2227-563: A major role in the planning of the coup. By December, many people began to anticipate the political turmoil that would soon engulf the CAR. Dacko's personal advisers alerted him that Bokassa "showed signs of mental instability" and needed to be arrested before he sought to bring down the government; Dacko did not heed these warnings. Early in the evening of 31 December 1965, Dacko left the Renaissance Palace to visit one of his ministers' plantations southwest of Bangui. An hour and

2358-574: A massacre of civilians. The final straw came when Bokassa tried to force all students in the country, from elementary school to university students, to wear uniforms made by a company owned by one of his wives. In response to this, students began protesting against Bokassa and by April 1979, the students and police "were practically in state of war". Many students were shot dead by the police during these protests. On 19 April 1979, there were mass arrests of students, who were taken to Ngaragba Prison , where approximately 100 students were beaten to death by

2489-483: A military and administrative centre when the colony was folded into French Equatorial Africa and under both Vichy and Free French control during World War II . The French operated a radio transmitter in Bangui, which was described in 1932 as "the most remote radio station in Africa". The colony of Ubangi-Shari received its autonomy in 1958 as the Central African Republic and became independent from France in 1960. In 1970, President Jean-Bédel Bokassa inaugurated

2620-399: A move that he thought would boost his popularity with the people, Bokassa ordered prison director Otto Šacher to release all prisoners in the jail. Bokassa then took Dacko to Camp Kassaï, where he forced the president to resign. In the morning, Bokassa addressed the public via Radio Bangui : "This is Colonel Bokassa speaking to you. At 3:00   a.m. this morning, your army took control of

2751-573: A new government called the Revolutionary Council, invalidated the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly , which he called "a lifeless organ no longer representing the people". In his address to the nation, Bokassa claimed that the government would hold elections in the future, a new assembly would be formed, and a new constitution would be written. He also told his countrymen that he would give up his power after

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2882-513: A part of colonial French Equatorial Africa , some 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Bangui . Mindogon was forced to organise the rosters of his village people to work for the French Forestière company. After hearing about the efforts of a prophet named Karnu to resist French rule and forced labour, Mindogon decided that he would no longer follow French orders and released some of his fellow villagers who were being held hostage by

3013-416: A partner of Gaddafi. After a meeting with Gaddafi in September 1976, Bokassa converted to Islam and changed his name to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa. It is presumed that his conversion to Islam was a ploy calculated to ensure ongoing Libyan financial aid. Issues arose when it became clear no funds promised by Gaddafi were forthcoming. The conversion also clashed with Bokassa's plans to be crowned emperor in

3144-653: A pillar before personally carving him with a knife that he had previously used for stirring his coffee in the gold-and-midnight blue Sèvres coffee set, or was the murder committed on the cabinet table with the help of other persons? Late that afternoon, soldiers dragged a still identifiable corpse, with the spinal column smashed, from barrack to barrack to serve as an example. In 1971, Bokassa promoted himself to full general , and on 4 March 1972 declared himself president for life . He survived another coup attempt in December 1974. The following month, on 2 January, he relinquished

3275-542: A population of 300,723. In March 1981, widespread violence took place in Bangui following elections, after Operation Caban led the French to drop Bokassa (who had begun to call himself Emperor Bokassa I ) and to replace him with David Dacko . Opponents of the President met in Bangui and were forced to flee the country. After returning voluntarily to Bangui in the autumn of 1986, Bokassa went on trial. Initially faced with

3406-450: A power-sharing agreement, Séléka and Bozizé agreed to honour the rebel's demands for the release of rebel prisoners and the expulsion of foreign troops from the country. The agreement allowed Bozizé to complete his term in office and to include members of Séléka in a new government. It was also agreed that fresh elections would be held in 2016. The agreement was not honoured and the rebels captured Bangui on 23 March 2013, forcing Bozizé to flee

3537-549: A revolution, and on 6 January 1966 he dismissed communist agents from the country and cut off diplomatic relations with the PRC. Bokassa also believed that the coup was necessary in order to prevent further corruption in the government. Bokassa first secured diplomatic recognition from President François Tombalbaye of neighbouring Chad, whom he met in Bouca , Ouham . After Bokassa reciprocated by meeting Tombalbaye on 2 April 1966, along

3668-585: A small community of French people . The Bangui resident community includes diamond traders from western Africa and Chad, traders from many African countries, and refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. The official languages of the country are French and Sango ; the latter (originally a language from the Ubangi River region) is spoken by 90% of the population. Some of

3799-499: A year later, Bokassa became commander-in-chief of the 500 soldiers of the army. Due to his relationship to Dacko and experience abroad in the French military, he was able to quickly rise through the ranks of the new national army, becoming its first colonel on 1 December 1964. Bokassa sought recognition for his status as leader of the army. He frequently appeared in public wearing his military decorations, and in ceremonies he often sat next to President Dacko to display his importance in

3930-426: Is a tonal language. The language has three basic tones (high, mid, and low), with contour tones also occurring, generally in French loanwords. Tones have a low functional load , but minimal pairs exist: dü 'give birth' versus dû 'hole'. Monosyllabic loan words from French usually have the tone pattern high-low falling ( bâan 'bench' from French banc ). In multisyllabic words all syllables carry low tone except

4061-600: Is also home to the University of Bangui , inaugurated in 1970. It is served by the Bangui M'Poko International Airport . Archaeological studies in and around Bangui have yielded at least 26 ancient Iron Age sites that contain many metallurgical tools and objects , illuminating the pre-European history of the city and surrounding area. The archaeological sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 11 April 2006 in

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4192-410: Is popular, as are the fish -based dishes maboké and soussou . Manioc flour is used for preparing fufu . There are three types of restaurants in Bangui. Some focus on foreign cuisine, such as 'Relais des Chasses,' 'La Tentation' and 'L'Escale,' which are oriented towards French food, and 'Ali Baba' and 'Beyrouth,' which serve Lebanese food. There are a large number of African restaurants, such as

4323-467: Is situated across the river from Bangui. The river flows to the east of downtown Bangui. During the rainy season the discharge in the river is three times higher than during the rest of the year. The city was also known as La Coquette (the beautiful city) in the 1970s. Close to the river, the city centre features a large arch dedicated to Bokassa as well as the presidential palace and the central market . Lying five kilometres (three miles) further north,

4454-444: Is the norm and French is the language of teaching, although the Sango language is promoted in schools. A substantial percentage of the population is literate. Schooling is compulsory for children ages 6 to 14. Bangui is home to the University of Bangui , founded in 1969 by President Jean-Bédel Bokassa who named it after himself; it started functioning in 1970. A public institution, the university provides non-agricultural education in

4585-489: Is the only English broadcasting station that is heard in the city on 90.2 FM, as all other local channels broadcast in either French and/or Sango. For reliable news, the UN runs channel Radio Ndeke Luka is on 100.8 FM. Sango language Sango is a language with contested classification, with some linguists considering it a Ngbandi -based creole , while others argue that the changes in Sango structures can be explained without

4716-404: Is wholly African. A variety of Sango was used as a lingua franca along the Ubangi River before French colonization, in the late 1800s. The French army recruited Central Africans, causing them to increasingly use Sango as a means of interethnic communication. Throughout the 20th century, missionaries promoted Sango because of its wide usage. Originally used by river traders, Sango arose as

4847-480: The 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment , secured Bangui M'Poko International Airport with little resistance. Upon arrival of two more French military transport aircraft containing over 300 French troops, a message was then sent by Colonel Brancion-Rouge to Colonel Degenne to trigger the second phase known as Operation Barracuda to have him come in with helicopters and aircraft. These aircraft took off from N'Djamena military airport in neighbouring Chad to occupy

4978-728: The Allied forces ' landing in Provence , France, as part of Operation Dragoon , and fought in southern France and in Germany in early 1945, before Nazi Germany collapsed. He remained in the French Army after the war, studying radio transmissions at an army camp in the French coastal town of Fréjus . Afterwards, Bokassa attended officer training school in Saint-Louis , Senegal. On 7 September 1950, he headed to French Indochina as

5109-464: The Bank of West Africa was established there. Arab sellers dominated the city, and it was historically an important centre for ivory trading. Bangui manufactures include textiles , food products, beer, shoes , and soap . The main exports are cotton , rubber , timber , coffee , and sisal . Because of the ongoing strife, unemployment hovered near 23% in the city as of 2001. Ngaragba Central Prison ,

5240-751: The Catholic cathedral in Bangui. In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine (Central African Revolutionary Council). On 4 December, at the MESAN congress, he converted back to Catholicism and instituted a new constitution that transformed the republic into the Central African Empire (CAE), with himself as "His Imperial Majesty" Bokassa I. His formal coronation took place on 4 December 1977 at 10:43   a.m. The coronation

5371-502: The Central African Republic's national basketball team won one of its two continental titles. Football (soccer) is also popular. Both men and women from Bangui and throughout the country have participated in the Olympic Games since 1968 as well as in many international events. The locals also organize boat races with hundreds of participants on the Ubangi River, which is a significant attraction. The French system of education

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5502-580: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui . Boganda Museum ( Musée de Boganda ) has displays of traditional musical instruments, weapons, rural architectural features, ancient hunting tools, pottery, and also many religious antiques. It has a collection of bark cloth, the material used to cover Bokassa's bed. There are several hotels up to international standards. The Ledger Plaza Bangui on the outskirts has an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, and comfortable amenities. The National Hotel

5633-471: The University of Bangui . He established the national airline Air Centrafrique the following year and ordered the construction of two new luxury hotels in Bangui. With tensions mounting between Bangui and Paris as a result of Bokassa's uncontrollable expenditures, western banks refused to lend him any more money. Relations with the French worsened still further in April 1974, when the body of Brigette Miroux

5764-467: The imperial coronation ceremony of Bokassa I on 4 December 1977. The French Defence Minister sent a battalion to secure the ceremony; he also lent seventeen aircraft to Bokassa's government, and even assigned French Navy personnel to support the orchestra. The coronation ceremony lasted for two days and cost 10 million GBP , more than the annual budget of the CAR. The ceremony was organized by French artist Jean-Pierre Dupont, and Bokassa's ornate crown

5895-563: The "Madame M'boka," a favorite of the locals. A number of bars and street food stalls complement Bangui's culinary scene. Alcoholic beverages served are locally brewed beer, palm wine and banana wine . Non-alcoholic beverages include ginger beer . Bangui's artisans' market has traditional wares representing the art products from different regions of the country. Handicrafts include woven mats and baskets, wooden utensils of simple design, carved stools, pottery, musical instruments, tanned skins, and wood products. The balafon , similar to

6026-621: The 1970 census. It is also spoken as a lingua franca in southern Chad, where it is probably not spoken natively and its use is decreasing, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where its use is increasing. Today, Sango is both a national and official language of the Central African Republic, which makes the Central African Republic one of the few African countries to have an indigenous language as an official language. A study by Taber (1964) indicates that some 490 native Sango words account for about 90% of colloquial speech; however, while French loanwords are much more rarely used, they account for

6157-590: The Avenue of Martyrs to the north of the old town, between the Koudoukou Avenue and the University of Bangui. A general hospital is located in the eastern side of the city. Modern health care facilities exist only in Bangui but are poor, providing only minimal care. Wealthier citizens make use of private clinics. The risk of catching HIV in the city is reportedly high, and many truck drivers stopping in

6288-578: The Bobangui village, who in turn informed Bokassa of the plot. Bokassa realized he had to act quickly, and worried that his 500-man army would be no match for the gendarmerie and the presidential guard. He was also concerned with the possibility that the French would come to Dacko's aid after the coup, as had occurred after one in Gabon against President Léon M'ba in February 1964; after receiving word of

6419-421: The CAR in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, the jury did not decide on the charges of cannibalism because of a general amnesty , but found him guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The resulting death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement , but he was freed in 1993. Bokassa then lived a private life in Bangui , and died in November 1996. Bokassa

6550-406: The Central African Republic ( Lutheran World Federation ), Evangelical Baptist Church of the Central African Republic ( Baptist World Alliance ). There are also Muslim mosques. Bangui is the transport hub of the Central African Republic. As of 1999, eight roads connected the city to other main towns in the country, Cameroon, Chad and South Sudan ; of these, only the toll roads are paved. During

6681-560: The Central African Republic (CAR) on 13 August 1960. On 1 January 1962, Bokassa left the French Army and joined the Central African Armed Forces with the rank of battalion commandant under then-commander-in-chief Mgboundoulou. As a cousin of Central African President David Dacko and nephew of Dacko's predecessor, Barthélémy Boganda , Bokassa was given the task of creating the new country's military. Over

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6812-399: The Central African Republic attained independence in 1960, developmental activities began, and the urbanization of Bangui ensued. This is evidenced by the population growth from 279,800 in 1975 to 427,435 in 1988 to 524,000 by 1994, and to 652,000 in 2001. Apart from the ethnic people of the country, the city is also home for a minority group of Greek, Portuguese and Yemeni traders, and also has

6943-427: The Central African Republic mutinied in Bangui, demanding salary increases and the abdication of Ange-Félix Patassé. In the aftermath, the renegades plundered and killed more than 50 people. Following this, the French troops stationed in the country suppressed the rebellion and restored the dictatorial power. After being elected, President Patassé announced a national unity government in early 1997. The Patassé government,

7074-605: The Central African Republic. Since 1981, the University Library has been in a separate building that houses its science, literature, and law collections. The medical school of the university has its own library. The other educational institutions are the National School of Arts and the Central School of Agriculture, in addition to many religious and technical schools. A school in the eastern part of

7205-560: The Cultural category. The site closest to Bangui is Pendere-Sengue, 800 metres (2,600 ft) from Independence Avenue, where archaeologists and conservation agencies have carried out studies. It is a paleo-metallurgical site where several thousand shards of ceramics, iron tools, pottery, and an iron spatula weighing 9 kilograms (20 lb) have been unearthed. Its dating, compared with similar sites in Nigeria and Sudan , could be close to

7336-512: The Forestière. The company considered this to be a rebellious act, so they detained Mindogon and took him away bound in chains to Mbaïki . On 13 November 1927, he was beaten to death in the town square just outside the prefecture office. A week later Bokassa's mother, unable to bear the grief of losing her husband, committed suicide . This left Bokassa an orphan at age 6. Bokassa's extended family decided that it would be best if he received

7467-531: The French and Central African armed forces, who he hoped would force Dacko to reconsider his decision. Dacko eventually yielded to pressure and allowed Bokassa back in October 1965. Bokassa claimed that Dacko finally gave up after French President Charles de Gaulle had personally told Dacko that "Bokassa must be immediately returned to his post. I cannot tolerate the mistreatment of my companion-in-arms". Tensions between Dacko and Bokassa continued to escalate in

7598-427: The Sango language: an urban "radio" variety which is ranked by 80% of his interviewees and has very few French loan words; a so-called "pastor" variety, which is scored 60%; and a "functionary" variety, spoken by learned people, who make the highest use of French loanwords while speaking Sango, which scores 40%. Sango has seven oral and five nasal vowels. Vowel quality and number of nasalized vowels may be affected by

7729-500: The Upper Ubangi ( Haut-Oubangui ) and then as the separate colony of Ubangi-Shari . The initial capitals of these areas were at les Abiras and Fort de Possel further upstream, but the rapids at Bangui blocked them from direct communication along the river and caused the settlement there to grow in importance until, in 1906, it was chosen as the new headquarters for the French administration. Bangui retained its importance as

7860-565: The bureaucracy was falling apart, and the country's boundaries were constantly breached by Lumumbists from the south and the rebel Anyanya from the east. Under pressure from political radicals in the Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire (Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa, or MESAN ) and in an attempt to cultivate alternative sources of support and display his ability to make foreign policy without

7991-545: The capital city as a peace-securing intervention. By 00:30 on 21 September 1979, the pro-French Dacko proclaimed the fall of the CAE and the restoration of the CAR under his presidency. Dacko remained president until he was overthrown on 1 September 1981 by André Kolingba . Bokassa, who was visiting Libya on a state visit at the time, fled to Ivory Coast where he spent four years living in Abidjan . He then moved to France, where he

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8122-527: The capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui acts as an administrative, trade, and commercial centre. The National Assembly, government buildings, banks, foreign enterprises and embassies, hospitals, hotels, main markets and the Ngaragba Central Prison are all located here. Bangui manufactures textiles , food products, beer , shoes and soap . Its Notre-Dame Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui . The city

8253-438: The capital. As of early January 2014, "around 500,000 have fled their homes" in Bangui, "almost half the city's population." On 13 January 2021 around 200 rebels attacked Bangui , killing one peacekeeper before being repelled. Bangui, close to the country's southern border, lies on the northern banks of the Ubangi River just below a series of rapids that limit major commercial shipping upriver. The only major city located on

8384-556: The city . After capturing Bria , Sibut , and other important towns, they were on the verge of capturing Damara , the last strategic town before Bangui. France and the US refused to support the president and neighbouring countries reinforced the Central African Multinational Force (Fomac). In January 2013, the rebels terminated their operations, hoping for a negotiated settlement. Following a ceasefire and

8515-480: The city are Musiki, Zokela, Makembe, Cool Stars, Cannon Stars, and Super Stars. Bokassa, during his tenure as president, established a music recording studio in Bangui and employed musicians to sing his praise with songs extolling his qualities as an emperor and to develop his cult image among his people. The most popular sport is basketball. Bangui hosted the FIBA Africa Championship 1974 , where

8646-544: The city for sexual services pose a major risk of spreading the disease to other parts of the country. The risk of catching malaria in Bangui and pygmy camps is also much higher than in the rest of the country. A conference of public health officials including representatives of the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization was held in Bangui in October 1985. The conference evolved

8777-554: The city, Lycée Charles de Gaulle , was established by the French and is named after President of France Charles de Gaulle . Several notable Africans, including writers such as Calixthe Beyala , have studied in the city. Beyala studied at the Lycée des Rapides . Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangui ( Catholic Church ), Evangelical Lutheran Church of

8908-407: The colonel's close connections with the army and satisfy the colonel's desire for recognition. To combat the chance that Bokassa would stage a coup, Dacko created a 500-member gendarmerie and a 120-member presidential security guard, led by Jean Izamo and Prosper Mounoumbaye, respectively. Dacko's government faced a number of problems during 1964 and 1965: the economy experienced stagnation ,

9039-540: The coming months. In December, Dacko approved an increase in the budget for Izamo's gendarmerie , but rejected the budget proposal Bokassa had made for the army. At this point, Bokassa told friends he was annoyed by Dacko's mistreatment and was "going for a coup d'état". Dacko planned to replace Bokassa with Izamo as his personal military adviser, and wanted to promote army officers loyal to the government, while demoting Bokassa and his close associates. Dacko did not conceal his plans. He hinted at his intentions to elders of

9170-507: The commanding officer of Camp Kassaï, whom he looked to for support. Mandaba went along with the plan, but his allegiance remained with Bokassa. When Banza contacted his co-conspirators on 8 April 1969, informing them that they would execute the coup the following day, Mandaba immediately phoned Bokassa and informed him of the plan. When Banza entered Camp Kassaï on 9 April, he was ambushed by Mandaba and his soldiers. The men had to break Banza's arms before they could overpower and throw him into

9301-421: The communist threat had been eliminated, the economy stabilized, and corruption rooted out. Bokassa allowed MESAN to continue functioning, but all other political organizations were barred from the CAR. In the coming months, Bokassa imposed a number of new rules and regulations: men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 had to provide proof that they had jobs, or else they would be fined or imprisoned. Begging

9432-516: The country from turmoil. Bokassa met with Prime Minister Georges Pompidou on 7 July 1966, but the French remained noncommittal in offering their support. After Bokassa threatened to withdraw from the CFA franc monetary zone, President de Gaulle decided to make an official visit to the CAR on 17 November 1966. To the Bokassa regime, this visit meant that the French had finally accepted the new changes in

9563-401: The country was still a de facto military dictatorship . His "imperial" regime lasted from 4 December 1976 to 21 September 1979. Following his overthrow, the CAR was restored under his predecessor, David Dacko . Bokassa's self-proclaimed imperial title did not achieve international diplomatic recognition. In his trial in absentia , Bokassa was tried and sentenced to death . He returned to

9694-500: The country's first newspaper, began publication in 1982. The other main newspapers are Le Novateur , Le Citoyen and L'Echo de Centrafrique . Most of the country's institutions have offices in Bangui, including French ones such as Électricité de France (EDF). Radio stations operating in Bangui include Radio Centrafrique , Radio Nehemie, Radio Notre-Dame, Radio Voix de la paix, Radio Ndeke Luka, RFI, Radio Voik de la grace, Radio Linga FM, Africa no.1, and Tropic FM. BBC World Service

9825-414: The country's leading export. But by the end of his five-year tenure, rampant corruption and financial indiscipline had resulted in workers being left unpaid and civil unrest ensued. Bokassa then seized power in a military coup in 1966. Concurrently, Bangui also became the key centre for social and cultural activity in the region, when new institutions were established in the city. However, political turmoil in

9956-509: The country's music. Its musicians also perform in many countries abroad. The Bangui band groups were influenced by Zokela in the 1980s. The innovative music is based on dance bands who have adopted the Congolese music with electronic support. The music is rhythmic and blends with the Congolese rumba ( soukous ), which was influenced by son cubano , cha-cha-cha , and merengue . Popular Central African music groups or dance bands who perform in

10087-410: The country, rampant corruption, and the dictatorial rule of President Bokassa centred in the city, brought in economic recession in the 1970s exacerbated by a fall in international prices for its major exports. This caused impoverishment of the people and severe conflict, further compounded by refugees migrating from troubled neighbouring countries. Bangui received its first bank in 1946 when a branch of

10218-443: The country. Bokassa and Banza began to argue over the country's budget, as Banza adamantly opposed the new president's extravagant spending. Bokassa moved to Camp de Roux, where he felt he could safely run the government without having to worry about Banza's thirst for power. In the meantime, Banza tried to obtain a support base within the army, spending much of his time in the company of soldiers. Bokassa understood what his minister

10349-594: The coup from the country's vice president, officials in Paris sent paratroopers to Gabon in a matter of hours and M'Ba was quickly restored to power. Bokassa received substantive support from his co-conspirator, Captain Alexandre Banza , who commanded the Camp Kassaï military base in northeast Bangui and, like Bokassa, had served in the French Army. Banza was an intelligent, ambitious and capable man who played

10480-476: The coup in progress. After declaring his opposition to the coup, Izamo was taken by the coup plotters to an underground cellar. Around midnight, Bokassa, Banza, and their supporters left Camp de Roux to take over Bangui. After seizing the capital in a matter of hours, Bokassa and Banza rushed to the Renaissance Palace in order to arrest Dacko, who was nowhere to be found. Bokassa panicked, believing

10611-445: The creation of two national orchestras. Despite the changes in the country, Bokassa had difficulty obtaining international recognition for his new government. He tried to justify the coup by explaining that Izamo and PRC agents were trying to take over the government and that he had to intervene to save the country from the influence of communism. He alleged that PRC agents in the countryside had been training and arming locals to start

10742-420: The death penalty, in February 1988 he was instead sentenced to life imprisonment. His successor was General André Kolingba , army chief of staff of Dacko's army, who took over control from the local French military on 1 September 1981 under the pretext that the country was heading towards civil war. Although he attempted to combat corruption and control the national economy, he was unable to achieve his reforms. By

10873-483: The deceased may avenge himself and herself and demonstrate the power of the family". The representative who attends the funeral also carries a little dust from the grave to the village, and gives it to the village's medicine man so that he can ascertain the reasons for his death. Most of the holidays in Bangui are festivals related to the Christian and Muslim faiths and are the same as those observed in other parts of

11004-453: The development of the country's infrastructure, which increased trade while slowing the national movement for independence. During David Dacko's presidency from 1960 to 1966, there was a significant increase in the production of diamonds . This occurred when the monopoly of the French concessionary companies was ended with a law allowing local citizens to dig for diamonds. After Dacko set up a diamond cutting factory at Bangui, diamonds became

11135-535: The final syllable, which is lengthened and takes a descending tone. The final tone is generally mid-low falling for nouns ( ananäa 'pineapple' from French ananas ) and high-low falling for verbs ( aretêe 'to stop' from French arrêter ). In isolation, tones have idiolectal variation, and they may also be affected by the mother language of non-native speakers. Sango is an isolating language with subject–verb–object word order, as in English. Noun phrases are of

11266-418: The form determiner-adjective-noun: mbênï INDEF kêtê small môlengê child mbênï kêtê môlengê INDEF small child "a small child" Plurals are marked with the proclitic â- , which precedes noun phrases: â-mbênï PL - INDEF kêtê small môlengê child â-mbênï kêtê môlengê PL-INDEF small child "some small children" â- may be attached to multiple items in

11397-427: The government. Bokassa frequently got into heated arguments with Jean-Paul Douate, the government's chief of protocol, who admonished him for not following the correct order of seating at presidential tables. At this time Mgboundoulou no longer advocated Bokassa's status as leader of the army. At first, Dacko found his cousin's antics amusing. Despite the number of recent military coups in Africa, he publicly dismissed

11528-519: The government. The Dacko government has resigned. The hour of justice is at hand. The bourgeoisie is abolished. A new era of equality among all has begun. Central Africans, wherever you may be, be assured that the army will defend you and your property ... Long live the Central African Republic! In the early days of his regime, Bokassa engaged in self-promotion before the local media, showing his countrymen his French army medals, and displaying his strength, fearlessness and masculinity. He formed

11659-446: The guards. Bokassa is alleged to have participated in the massacre. However, he denied these allegations. After the massacre, Bokassa was condemned by foreign governments and international organizations cut off aid. Operation Caban began on the evening of 20 September 1979, and ended early the next morning as the first phase of Bokassa's overthrow. An undercover commando squad from the French intelligence agency SDECE , joined by

11790-540: The heart of the residential area has the largest market and most of the nightlife . Many of those in the suburbs live in houses known as Kodros, built of mud bricks with a thatched roof. The Bangui Magnetic Anomaly , one of the earth's largest crustal anomalies and the largest in Africa, has its centre in Bangui." It takes the form of a huge ellipse of 700 kilometres (430 mi) x 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), with its central point at 6 degrees north and 18 degrees east. It consists of three parts or segments, which comprise

11921-507: The help of the French government, Dacko established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in September 1964. A delegation led by Meng Yieng and agents of the Chinese government toured the CAR, showing communist propaganda films . Soon after, the PRC gave the CAR an interest-free loan of one billion CFA francs (20 million French francs ). The aid failed to subdue

12052-481: The highest use of French loanwords. Sango is a tonal language with subject-verb-object word order, and its orthography was officially established in 1984. It has limited written material, mainly focused on religious literature. Sango is considered easy to learn, although reaching true fluency takes time, as with any other language. The main difficulties for English speakers are pronunciation and tone management. Some linguists, following William J. Samarin, classify it as

12183-543: The intention of making him a priest, but realized that his student did not have the aptitude for study or the piety required for this occupation. He then studied at Father Compte's school in Brazzaville , where he developed his abilities as a cook. After graduating in 1939, Bokassa took the advice offered to him by his grandfather, M'Balanga, and Father Grüner, by joining the Troupes coloniales (French colonial troops) as

12314-419: The likelihood that Bokassa would try to take control of the country. At an official dinner, he said, "Colonel Bokassa only wants to collect medals and he is too stupid to pull off a coup d'état". Other members of Dacko's cabinet believed that Bokassa was a genuine threat to the government. Jean-Arthur Bandio, the minister of interior , suggested Dacko name Bokassa to the cabinet, which he hoped would both break

12445-521: The majority of the vocabulary, particularly in the speech of learned people. The situation might be compared to English, in which most of the vocabulary, particularly "learned" words, is derived from Latin , Greek , or French while the basic vocabulary remains strongly Germanic . However, more recent studies suggest that the result is specific to a particular sociolect, the so-called "functionary" variety. Morrill's work, completed in 1997, revealed that there were three sociologically distinct norms emerging in

12576-404: The majority. Today, Sango is both a national and official language of the Central African Republic, spoken by 350,000 speakers as of the 1970 census. It is also spoken as a lingua franca in southern Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sango has three distinct sociolinguistic norms: an urban "radio" variety, a "pastor" variety, and a "functionary" variety spoken by learned people who make

12707-470: The middle of the 1980s the country's economic situation had deteriorated as 80% of the revenue went towards meeting the salaries of the staff. Under pressure from a donor group called GIBAFOR (France, USA, Japan, Germany, EU, World Bank and the UN) Kolingba made moves to restore a degree of democracy in the country in 1991 with a multiparty government. Elections were held in 1993 and 1994. The first round

12838-765: The mother tongue of non-native speakers of Sango. Palatal affricates occur in loan words and certain dialects. Some dialects have alternations between [ᶬv] and [m], [ᵐb] and [ᵑ͡ᵐg͡b], [ᵐb] and [b], word-medial [l] and [r], and word-initial [h] and [ʔ]. [ᶬv] is quite rare. Syllable structure is generally CV. Consecutive vowels are rare but do occur. Consonants may be palatalized or labialized, orthographically C ⟨i⟩ and C ⟨u⟩ , respectively. Words are generally monosyllabic or bisyllabic but less commonly are trisyllabic. Four-syllable words are created via reduplication and compounding, and may also be written as two words ( kêtêkêtê or kêtê kêtê 'tiny bit', walikundû or wa likundû 'sorcerer'). Sango

12969-543: The national prison for men, is located in Bangui. As of 2007, it had 476 inmates; prison conditions are reported to be poor. The old town of Bangui has retained its colonial town planning, with wide boulevards leading towards a central market square. Attractions in Bangui include Boganda Museum , Bangui Zoo, and the Presidential Palace , formerly the Bokassa Palace. Notre-Dame Cathedral is the seat of

13100-470: The ninth century BC. The modern settlement of Bangui was founded by Michel Dolisie and Alfred Uzac on 26 June 1889 on the direction of Brazzaville administrator Albert Dolisie. It was located in what was then the upper reaches of the French Congo , the present-day Congo . The original site was 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the Ubangi rapids. Its territory was organized first into the territory of

13231-537: The northern regions. It has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen : Aw) with dry winters. While the warm season is from 23 January to 18 March, the cold season lasts from 20 June to 27 August, when rainfall is frequently accompanied by thunderstorms. The city is bordered by thick tropical rainforests along the river banks. Several of its neighbourhoods are in low-lying areas prone to recurrent flooding with severe rains in June and July 2009 leaving 11,000 people homeless. After

13362-476: The northern, the southern and the central anomalies. The magnetic equator passes through the feature's centre. Although it is well documented, the feature's origins are not fully understood. The Central African Republic is situated just north of the Equator with daily temperatures normally reaching at least 30 °C. Bangui, close to the Equator in the south of the country, it is slightly hotter and wetter than

13493-482: The noun phrase by some speakers, but this is less common: â-kötä PL -big (â)zo person â-kötä (â)zo PL-big person "important people/dignitaries" The derivational suffix -ngö nominalizes verbs. It also changes all tones in the verb to mid: Genitives are normally formed with the preposition tî 'of': dû Jean-B%C3%A9del Bokassa Jean-Bédel Bokassa ( [ʒɑ̃ bedɛl bɔkasa] ; 22 February 1921 – 3 November 1996)

13624-539: The opposition parties, and religious groups signed the Bangui Agreements in January 1997 which were a series of measures designed to reconcile competing political factions, reform and strengthen the economy. The same year, the rebel troops refused a military base in Bangui and in June a new revolt broke out. In view of frequent political unrest the city was named in 1996 as one of the most dangerous cities in

13755-527: The other languages spoken are Baya (Gbaya), Banda , Ngbaka , Sara , Mbum , Kare , and Mandjia . Sango was simplified by Christian missionaries and is widely used to this day. Bangui serves as an administrative, trade, and commercial centre. During the Second World War the country became wealthier as exports of rubber, cotton, coffee, uranium and diamonds increased. After the war, the employment of local people in mainstream administration led to

13886-449: The overwhelming majority of the country's international trade and has a cargo handling capacity of 350,000 tons; it has 350 metres (1,150 ft) length of wharfs and 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) of warehousing space. The first airstrip in Bangui was built between 1920 and 1925. Bangui M'Poko International Airport is located on 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of deforested land 7 kilometres ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) off

14017-556: The position of prime minister to Elisabeth Domitien , who became the first woman to hold the position. He had earlier appointed the CAR's first female government minister, Marie-Joséphe Franck , in February 1970. Over time, Bokassa's domestic and foreign policies became increasingly unpredictable, leading to another assassination attempt at Bangui M'Poko International Airport in February 1976. The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi aided Bokassa. France also lent support; in 1975, French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing declared himself

14148-461: The president had been warned of the coup in advance, and immediately ordered his soldiers to search for Dacko in the countryside until he was found. Dacko was arrested by soldiers patrolling Pétévo Junction, on the western border of Bangui. He was taken back to the palace, where Bokassa hugged the president and told him, "I tried to warn you — but now it's too late." Dacko was taken to Ngaragba Prison at around 02:00  WAT (01:00  UTC ). In

14279-425: The prospect of a financial collapse for the country. Widespread political corruption added to the country's list of problems. Bokassa felt that he needed to take over the government to address these issues—most importantly, to rid the CAR from the influence of communism . According to Samuel Decalo, a scholar of African government, Bokassa's personal ambitions played the most important role in his decision to launch

14410-464: The rainy season from March to November, some roads are impassable. The road network in the city emanates from the Palace de la Republique. River ferries sail from the river port at Bangui to Brazzaville and Zongo . The river can be navigated most of the year between Bangui and Brazzaville. From Brazzaville, goods are transported by rail to Pointe-Noire , Congo's Atlantic port. The river port handles

14541-557: The river, it covers an area of 67 square kilometres (26 sq mi). The navigable Ubangi River, with the backdrop of lush green hills, turns sharply south below Bangui and connects to the Congo River just south of the equator near Brazzaville as its chief northern tributary. The Ubangi river marks the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The Congolese town of Zongo

14672-481: The settlement, which marked the end of navigable water north from Brazzaville . The majority of the population of the Central African Republic lives in the western parts of the country, in Bangui and the surrounding area. The city has been part of Bangui Prefecture since December 2020. As of 2020 it had an estimated population of 889,231. The city consists of eight urban districts ( arrondissements ), 16 groups ( groupements ) and 205 neighbourhoods ( quartiers ). As

14803-401: The southern border of Chad at Fort Archambault , the two decided to help one another if either was in danger of losing power. Soon after, other African countries began to diplomatically recognize the new government. At first, the French government was reluctant to support the Bokassa regime, so Banza went to Paris to meet with French officials to convince them that the coup was necessary to save

14934-493: The statement of his former chef that he had repeatedly cooked the flesh of human carcasses stored in the palace's walk-in freezers for Bokassa's table. Moreover, at his coronation Bokassa had reportedly told the French ambassador that the latter had eaten human meat without knowing it. This did not affect Bokassa's criminal record, however, since the consumption of human remains is considered a misdemeanour under CAR law and all previously committed misdemeanours had been forgiven by

15065-640: The transmissions expert for the battalion of Saigon-Cholon . Bokassa saw some combat during the First Indochina War before his tour of duty ended in March 1953. For his exploits in battle, he was honoured with membership of the Legion of Honour , and was decorated with Croix de guerre . During his stay in Indochina, he married a 17-year-old Vietnamese girl named Nguyễn Thị Huệ. After Huệ bore him

15196-689: The trunk of a Mercedes and take him directly to Bokassa. At his house in Berengo, Bokassa nearly beat Banza to death before Mandaba suggested that Banza be put on trial for appearance's sake. On 12 April, Banza presented his case before a military tribunal at Camp de Roux, where he admitted to his plan, but stated that he had not planned to kill Bokassa. He was sentenced to death by firing squad , taken to an open field behind Camp Kassaï, executed, and buried in an unmarked grave . The circumstances of Banza's death have been disputed. The American newsmagazine Time reported that Banza "was dragged before

15327-478: The will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN". Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent and earn the world's respect. Despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. By this time, many people inside and outside the CAE thought Bokassa

15458-405: The world. National holidays include independence day and the birthdays of Boganda and several other national heroes. The cuisine of CAR is referred to as Centrafrican and the staple diet in Bangui includes cassava , rice , squash , pumpkins and plantains served with a sauce and grilled meat . Okra or gombo is a popular vegetable. Peanuts and peanut butter are widely used. Game

15589-695: The world. On 25 October 2002, several towns in the country and later Bangui itself were attacked by the forces of General François Bozizé , backed with international support. Bozizé refused to accept an arrest warrant and "defected with about a hundred troops, engaged in street battles in the northern neighborhoods of Bangui (traditionally supporting Patassé)" and went north. Bozizé went into exile in Chad but his troops returned to Bangui and fighting continued. Peace-keeping forces were ineffective, leaving Patassé isolated, and with support from Chad, Bozizé's troops were successful in removing Patassé's government. Patassé, who

15720-542: Was a Central African political and military leader. He became the second president of the Central African Republic (CAR) after seizing power in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état on 1 January 1966. He later established the Central African Empire (CAE) with himself as emperor , reigning as Bokassa I until his overthrow in a 1979 coup . Of this period, Bokassa served about eleven years as president and three years as self-proclaimed Emperor of Central Africa , though

15851-415: Was banned. Tom-tom playing was allowed only during the nights and weekends. A "morality brigade" was formed in the capital to monitor bars and dance halls. Polygamy , dowries , and female circumcision were all abolished. Bokassa also opened a public transport system in Bangui made up of three interconnected bus lines through the capital city as well as a ferry service on the Ubangi River , and subsidized

15982-520: Was discovered in a hotel room in Bangui. Miroux was a native of northern France who in 1973 came to the Central African Republic to become a "hostess" in Bokassa's Caravelle aircraft. It was reported in the French media that she had been Bokassa's mistress and that he was responsible for her murder. As a result, Bokassa banned import of French newspapers and assumed control of the Agence France-Presse office in Bangui. By 1975, Bangui had

16113-479: Was doing, so he sent military units most sympathetic to Banza to the country's border and brought his own partisan units as close to the capital as possible. In September 1967, he took a special trip to Paris, where he asked for protection from French troops. Two months later, the French government deployed 80 paratroopers to Bangui. On 13 April 1968, in another one of his frequent cabinet reshuffles , Bokassa demoted Banza to minister of health, but let him remain

16244-605: Was established in 1970 with 30 rooms. Also of note are the Golf Palace Hotel, the Hotel du Centre with 72 rooms, JM Residence, the Oubangui Hotel, established in 1985, and Hotel Somba with 23 rooms. Polygamy is an accepted practice among men. When someone dies in Bangui a representative from his or her village attends the funeral. "This person is charged with indicating to the deceased the way back home so that

16375-558: Was estimated to cost his country roughly $ US20 million – one third of the CAE's annual budget and all of France's aid money for that year. His regalia, the lavish coronation, and generally the ceremonies adapted by the newly formed CAE were largely inspired by Napoleon , who had converted the French First Republic into the First French Empire . Bokassa's full title became " Emperor of Central Africa by

16506-503: Was insane. The Western press, mostly in France, the UK and the US, considered him a laughingstock, and often compared his eccentric behavior and egotistical extravagance with that of another well-known eccentric African dictator, Idi Amin of Uganda. Tenacious rumours that Bokassa occasionally consumed human flesh were substantiated by several testimonies during his eventual trial, including

16637-700: Was made by Parisian jeweller Claude Bertrand. Bokassa sat on a two-ton throne modeled in the shape of a large eagle made from gilded bronze. On 10 October 1979, the French satirical newspaper Canard Enchaîné reported that Bokassa had offered the then- Minister of Finance Giscard two diamonds in 1973. This soon became a major political scandal known as the Diamonds Affair , which contributed significantly to Giscard's losing his reelection bid in 1981 . The Franco-Central African relationship drastically changed when France's Renseignements Généraux intelligence service learned of Bokassa's willingness to become

16768-508: Was posthumously rehabilitated by President François Bozizé in 2010, leading to an upsurge in his popularity, despite his well-known crimes and extravagances. Bokassa was born on 22 February 1921, as one of twelve children to Mindogon Mufasa, a village chief, and his wife Marie Yokowo in Bobangui , a large Mbaka village in the Lobaye basin located at the edge of the equatorial forest, then

16899-529: Was returning from Niger after attending a conference, was not permitted to land in Bangui and he took asylum in Togo , and Bozizé seized power and suspended the constitution. An all-party National Transitional Government was set up which functioned as an interim legislative body. However, the "climate of distrust continued". In late 2012, the Séléka coalition rebelled against the autocratic rule of Bozizé and entered

17030-498: Was sabotaged by the government when it was clear they would lose. Under continued donor pressure elections were held again in 1994 as before with help from the UN Electoral Assistance Division. During these elections, Ange-Félix Patassé was elected to the post of president. Since he was from northern CAR, the southern group of Kolingba started a rebellion during 1996. In May 1996, about 200 soldiers of

17161-534: Was then stationed as a military technical assistant in December 1958 in Brazzaville, and in 1959 after a twenty-year absence he was posted back to his homeland in Bangui. He was promoted to the rank of captain on 1 July 1961. The French colony of Ubangi-Chari , part of French Equatorial Africa, had become a semi-autonomous territory of the French Community in 1958, and then an independent nation as

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