Mpokomanji Soli

Sonny M'Pokomandji (born 29 February 1948), nicknamed M'Pokson, is a retired Central African basketball player, air transport expert, and politician. He represented Central African Republic in the FIBA Africa Championship in 1968, 1970, and 1974. Later, he served as Minister of Equipment and Transport (2003–2005).

Early life and education M'Pokomandji was born in Bangui on 29 February 1948. He is the third child of seven siblings. His father, Ambroise Sonny, is from Kouango, while his mother, Elisabeth Sapki, hails from Satema. He moved to Sarh in an unknown year since his parents, who worked as a civil servant, were posted there and enrolled in Saint-François Xavier Catholic School. While living in Sarh, he enjoyed watching AS Tempête Mocaf matches against a local team. In February 2021, he became the Central African Basketball Federation (FCBB) president candidate, promising to restore the country's basketball. However, he lost the election to Aimé Serge Singa.

Professional career and detainment After finishing his higher education with a civil aviation engineering degree, he returned to CAR and worked at ACESNA. However, his career at ACENSEA was ended in 1976 due to the coup plot. On 16 February 1976, while M'Pokomandji and ICAO officials inspected the Bangui M'Poko International Airport runway, a grenade was thrown at Bokassa when he was to board a flight to N'Délé. Although the grenade failed to explode, M’pokomandji and the other ACESNA officials were called to the Council of Ministers for questioning. Later, he wrote and sent a letter to his colleague in Toulouse, Joseph Ndoro, about the coup in which the coup plotters were arrested and some were exiled. The country's censorship service prevented the letter from reaching Ndoro since it was considered "an act of subversion against Bokassa". This letter caused M'Pokomandji to be arrested. During his tenure, he served as the Air CEMAC project coordinator and signed a border closure with DRC in 2003. Furthermore, he was accused of obstructing the liquidation of Air Afrique.

M'Pokomandji ran for the MP candidate in the 2005 Central African general election representing Nola and won a seat at the National Assembly. In the 2011 election, he was reelected as an MP representing Nola 1 District after the constitutional court declared him the winner by invalidating Aliou Bapetel's victory. Previously, his supporters staged a demonstration in Bangui Street on 8 April to protest the vote theft of M'Pokomandji's rival.

During Djotida's presidency, he was nominated as a National Transitional Council (NTC) member in May 2013. However, his appointment as an NTC member sparked protests from Sangha-Mbaéré residents who claimed that he was not an appropriate person to represent the prefecture and asked the government to endorse Paulin Pomodimo instead. Under Samba-Panza administration, he was part of the Transitional Counselor from 2014 to 2016.

Personal life M'Pokomandji belongs to Banda and married Rose Francine, a daughter of police commissioner Gaston Ouakara-Sow. The couples have three sons and one daughter.