André Kolingba

André-Dieudonné Kolingba (12 August 1936 – 7 February 2010) was a Central African politician, who was the fourth President of the Central African Republic (CAR), from 1 September 1981 until 22 October 1993. He took power from President David Dacko in a bloodless coup d'état in 1981 and lost power to Ange-Félix Patassé in a democratic election held in 1993. Kolingba retained the strong support of France until the end of the Cold War in 1992, after which both internal and external pressure forced him to hold presidential elections which he lost.

His twelve-year term in office saw the growing influence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in decisions by donor-nations regarding financial support and management of the Central African state. Many members of Kolingba's ethnic group, the Yakoma people, obtained lucrative posts in the public, private and parastatal sectors of the CAR's economy during his era. A member of the riverine Yakoma ethnic group, Kolingba (meaning "male Buffalo") joined the French military in 1954 and received military training at the École de formation des officiers ressortissants des territoires d'outre-mer (EFORTOM) at Fréjus. He was transferred to the Central African army at independence in 1960. As a military officer, he also worked at Radio Bangui, where he became a host at the magazine of the Central African Armed Forces and a classical music program and later was promoted to co-director. While working at the radio, he met his future wife, Mireille Kotalimbora.

He became a sub-lieutenant on 1 October 1964, a colonel, and then a brigadier general on 3 April 1973. As a battalion commander, he was named technical adviser to the minister of national defense, veterans and war victims on 1 March 1977, as well as aide-de-camp of Bokassa. He then served briefly as the CAR's ambassador to Canada — replacing Sylvestre Bangui — and the Federal Republic of Germany before being named minister in March 1979. When Bokassa was overthrown in 1979 and David Dacko was restored to power by the French, Kolingba gained Dacko's favor and was made army chief of staff in July 1981.

Overthrow of David Dacko In September 1981, Kolingba overthrew Dacko in a coup d'état. There has been considerable speculation about who supported Kolingba's seizure of power. It has been suggested that local French military advisers helped him carry out the coup without the authorization or knowledge of Socialist President François Mitterrand and his entourage (Delayan 1985; Kalck 2004). Central African Republic specialists Richard Bradshaw and Carlos Fandos-Rius also state that Kolingba "seized power with French support". According to historian Brian Titley, the 800 French soldiers in the country had orders not to interfere.

The French went on to support Kolingba until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the democratization movement in Africa during the late 1980s and early 1990s led to local, French and international pressure to hold presidential elections.

Ruling years After overthrowing Dacko in 1981, Kolingba established a military committee for national reconstruction to rule the country, but in fact he ruled as a military dictator, more corrupt than brutal, until 1986, when he submitted a Constitution to a national referendum. The document was approved with an implausible total of 92 percent. Under its terms, Kolingba was automatically elected president for a six-year term. It also established the Central African Democratic Rally (Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain, RDC) as the country's only legal party. Parliamentary elections were held in 1987, in which voters were presented with a single list of RDC candidates. With all candidates effectively handpicked by Kolingba, he effectively held complete political control over the country. His regime kept political opponents, for example Abel Goumba, under close surveillance and excluded them from formal politics.

Kolingba's government favored fellow Yakoma to hold important administrative, financial and military posts. This led to the majority of key positions being taken up by Yakoma people. Although disproportionate Yakoma influence already dated back to the colonial era when they worked for Europeans and had access to French education,

With regards to international politics, the country's existing ties with France were maintained or even strengthened. Jean-Claude Mantion, the SDECE and DGSE officer who was implied in the 1981 coup by Marion, had been installed at the head of the Presidential Guard under Dacko shortly before the coup took place. Mantion maintained this position throughout the entirety of the Kolingba era. This led him to be described as a "proconsul" and as "the president of President Kolingba", implying he was even more powerful than Kolingba himself.

The repression of opposition under the Kolingba regime backfired: by 1990, the opposition had united in an alliance, the Comité de coordination pour la convocation d’une conférence nationale (CCCCN). Patassé reacted by demoting Kolingba and four other officers to the rank of private. On June 1, Kolingba called on the other coup plotters to lay down arms and attempted to negotiate with Patassé, which the latter refused. Shortly afterwards, weapons were found in Kolingba's residence.

Kolingba fled to Kampala, Uganda, to evade trial. He was found guilty in absentia by the Central African criminal court and sentenced to death. 21 of Kolingba's associates, including 3 of his sons, also received a death sentence. He then left for Paris on 2 November 2003 for a prostate operation. Kolingba died there on 7 February 2010.

Awards and family Kolingba married Mireille Kotalimbora-Kolingba in 1969, and the couple had twelve children.

Kolingba was named officier de l'Ordre de l'Opération Bokassa (Officer of the Order of the Operation Bokassa) on 1 December 1971, officier de l'Ordre de la Médaille de la Reconnaissance Centrafricaine (Officer of the Order of the Medal of Central African Gratitude) on 1 January 1972, chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite Postal (Knight of the Order of Postal Merit) on 1 December 1972, commandeur (Commander) (1 January 1975) and dignité de Grand-Croix (Grand Cross) (1 December 1981) de l'Ordre du Mérite Centrafricain (Central African Order of Merit).