The Central African Republic gained independence from France in 1960 and has experienced considerable political instability, including several coups and an overthrow of the government. It remains one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, with ongoing conflicts spilling over from neighboring countries like Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country faces major challenges including insecurity, poverty, underdevelopment, and instability exacerbated by its location in a volatile region.

1. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Country Brief
November 2011

2. Context

3. Political History
1960 CAR independent from France on 13 August. David Dacko, Minister of the
Interior, forces parliament to elect him as first president.
1964 Dacko, candidate of single party established in 1962, wins first elections.
1965 Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa, former captain of the French army, takes power
in a bloody coup over a weak Dacko on 31 December with a mission to eradicate
corruption and improve the economy.
1979 Apr – Support to Bokassa weakens after “Ngaragba massacre,” when 250
students demonstrating in Bangui were beaten and thrown into Ngaragba prison,
where dozens died. 20 Sep – Bokassa overthrown; Dacko put back into power.
French army forced to secure Bangui following demonstrations of discontent.
1981 Dacko wins elections over Ange-Felix Patassé, leader of the Movement for the
Liberation of the CAR (MLPC), however, unconfident he hands power to the Military
Committee for National Recovery (CRMN) headed by General André Kolingba, the
Central African Armed Force’s (FACA) Chief of Staff.
1982 Two attempted coups blocked; one by Patassé and one by François Bozizé
and Alphonse Mbaïkoua. Bozizé flees to Chad and Mbaïkoua to Markounda, north
CAR.
Context | 3

4. Political History
1991 Multi-party system ratified in reformed constitution.
1993 Patassé defeats Kolingba in elections; ending military rule.
1997 After a series of mutinies between 1996 and 1997, France boosts military
presence in Bangui to protect constitutional order. French troops later replaced by
750 peacekeeping troops from the Inter-African Commission to Monitor
Implementation of the Bangui Accords (MISAB).
1998 1,350 soldiers with the UN Mission for the Central African Republic
(MINURCA) replace MISAB with a mandate to ensure security in Bangui for three
months.
1999 Patassé defeats multiple parties in first round of elections.
2000 1 Apr - UN withdraws peacekeeping force, MINURCA, and established UN
Peacebuilding Office in the CAR (BONUCA). Heightened unrest over civil servants’
wages.
Context | 4

5. Political History
2001 May - Attempted coup; Kolingba first claims responsibility, but later thought to
may have been Bozizé, then FACA Chief of Staff. Government supporters attack
Kolingba supports, forcing 50,000 residents to flee Bangui. Patassé maintains his
position in power with the support of Libyan soldiers sent by Colonel Qaddafi. Dec
2001 – 300 peacekeeping troops from the Community of Sahel Saharan States
(CEN-SAD), formed by Qaddafi, deployed to Bangui to secure capital.
2002 Oct - Supporters of Bozizé raid Bangui; driven back by Libyan forces and
combatants of the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC). Dec – 300
Force Multinationale en Centrafrique (FOMUC) soldiers replace CEN-SAD.
2003 Bozizé, with support from Chad, launches a successful coup in March and
becomes Head of State and Minister of Defense. Wave of looting by the liberators
in Bangui and even more in central and northern regions.
2005 Bozizé wins elections over Martin Ziguélé in second round.
Context | 5

6. Political History
2005 - 2008 Insecurity increases in the northern regions where civil administration
fled due to lack of payment, leaving FACA as the only government representatives.
The Presidential Guard and the FACA conduct attacks against the population and
rebel groups, and increase in banditry profiting from a weak state. Many rebel
groups formed or strengthened to protect their civilians, keep control of their
resources and demand support from the State. More than 300,000 displaced within
the CAR or fleeing to Cameroon and Chad.
Sep 2007 U.N. Mission in CAR and Chad (MINURCAT) established under Security
Council resolution 1778 in order to contribute to the protection of civilians; promote
human rights and the rule of law; and promote regional peace. In the CAR,
presence limited to Vakaga, isolated prefecture in the north-east.
Feb 2008 First Lord’s Resistance Army attack on the southeastern regions of CAR,
driving people from their villages to seek refugee in main towns.
June 2008 Libreville Comprehensive Peace Agreement reached between the
Government and all but one rebel group. Agreement calls for the Disarmament,
Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process.
Context | 6

7. Political History
Jul 2008 Regional peace-keeping force MICOPAX, under the responsibility of the
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), replaces FOMUC starting
its mandate in Jan 2009 with an objective to protect civilians, secure the territory,
contribute to the national reconciliation process and facilitate political dialogue.
Jun – Aug 2009 Ugandan People’s Defense Force (UPDF) establish presence in
the LRA-affected southeast.
Sep 2009 Front Populaire pour le Redressement (FPR), Chadian armed rebel
group led by Baba Laddé, stage first attack in the CAR .
Nov 2010 MINURCAT ends its mandate, and leaves Vakaga.
23 Jan 2011 Bozizé wins presidential elections against Patassé, and his national
party, Kwa na Kwa, takes the majority in the parliament in legislative elections.
12 Jun 2011 Government of CAR signs a ceasefire agreement with the Convention
of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), the only major armed group not to have
signed the June 2008 Libreville Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
25 Jun 2011 Launch of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR)
for ex-combatants with 5 groups to participate.
Sources: International Crisis Group, European Commission, UN DPKO, UN Security Council Reports Context | 7

8. The People of CAR
• Population : 4,442,000 (70% living in the western
parts of the country)
• Languages: French (official language), Sangho
(lingua franca and national language), and more
than 74 local languages
• Religion*: 35% indigenous beliefs, 35%
Protestant, 25% Roman Catholic, 15% Islam
• Ethnic Groups: 33% Gbaya, 27% Banda, 13%
Mandjia, 7.9%, 10% Sara, 7% Mboum, 4%
M’Baka, 4% Yakoma, 2% other
*Animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Sources: UNFPA (2010), CIA World Fact Book (2011) Context | 8

9. Neighbors in state of conflict or instability
1. Chad 4. Darfur, Sudan
Insecurity due to armed rebel Ongoing conflict between rebel
groups, inter-ethnic tensions factions and the Government of
over access to land and natural Sudan.
resources and banditry.:
5. South Sudan
Newly independent, inter-clan
2. Lord’s Resistance Army
1 conflict and tensions with the
4 north still remain.
Actively committing atrocities in
southeast CAR, northern DRC 5 6. Ituri, DRC
and South Sudan. While the land disputes
between agriculturalists and
2 pastoralists have calmed,
armed groups remain active.
3 6
7. The Kivus, DRC
3. Equateur, DRC Conflict fueled by vast natural
Inter-ethnic clashes led to
7
resources in the region, the
massive displacement in 2009 Army is fighting mainly
and 2010. The situation has Rwandan Hutu rebels (FDLR)
since calmed with an on-going and a collection of other
reconciliation process. insurgents.

10. Economy and Development
Human Development Index rank 179
HDI
1 out of 187
1 countries
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita rank 168
GDP
1 out of 173
1 countries
Living on less than US$1.25 per day rank 103
POV
1 out of 111
1 countries
Central African Republic
Country in Sub-Saharan Africa
Other country
Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2011 Context | 10

11. Millennium Development Goals – Where are we?
Progress by goal with 3.5 years to go until 2015
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieved
Very likely to be achieved,
Achieve universal primary education on track
Possible to achieve if
Promote gender equality and empower some changes are made
women Off track
Reduce child mortality Insufficient information
Improve Maternal Health
Combat HIV/AID, malaria and other
diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for
development
Status in accordance with national government reporting.
Source: National MDG Report 2010 Context | 11

12. Growth
CAR’s HDI grew by 10% between 2005 and 2011, above the average for Sub-Saharan
Africa which grew by 7.4%
Human Development Index (HDI) Growth since 2005 (%)
20%
Country in Sub-Saharan Africa
15 Sub-Saharan Africa average
Central African Republic
10
5
0
-5
2005 2011
Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2011 Context | 12

13. Governance
The Ibrahim Index of African Governance, measuring the delivery of
public good and services to citizens by government and non-state
actors, ranked CAR 48 out of 53 (53 being low value) in 2010.
Mauritius (score of 83) Seychelles (79) Botswana (76) Cape Verde
(75) South Africa (71) Namibia (67) Ghana (65) Tunisia (62) Egypt
(60) Lesotho (60) Sao Tomé and Príncipe (58) Benin (57) Morocco
(57) Senegal (56) Algeria (55) Tanzania (55) Zambia (55) Gambia
(53) Mali (53) Mozambique (52) Burkina Faso (52) Malawi (52)
Libya (51) Uganda (51) Swaziland (51) Kenya (51) Gabon (50)
Madagascar (49) Comoros (49) Djibouti (49) Rwanda (47) Sierra
Leone (46) Burundi (45) Cameroon (44) Ethiopia (44) Mauritania
(43) Nigeria (43) Liberia (43) Togo (43) Niger (42) Congo (42)
Angola (39) Guinea-Bissau (39) Côte d’Ivoire (37) Guinea (36)
Equatorial Guinea (35) Sudan (33) Central African Republic (33)
Zimbabwe (33) Eritrea (32) Democratic Republic of the Congo (31)
Chad (29) Somalia (8)
Sources: Mo Ibrahim Foundation (2008/09) Context | 13

14. Infrastructure
A country slightly larger than France
with less than 700km of paved
roads. UNHAS, ICRC and BINUCA
flights are the only domestic flight
available to most humanitarians
and are often
disrupted during
the rainy season.
Context | 14

15. High Resource Potential
Timber and diamonds are the
CAR’s principal exports,
accounting for over US$100 M
in 2009, 7% of the GDP.
Diamond deposits
Uranium deposits
Gold deposits
Wood production
Sources: Banque des Etats de l’Afrique centrale (2009), DPDDA (2011), PARFAF (2008), HDPT (2010)

16. Humanitarian Situation

17. Pockets of fragility, instability and/or conflict
North-east
Ethnic tensions and inter-tribal
attacks. Increase in insecurity
North-central and displacement during the
Chronically problematic due to dry season with transhumance
nomadic group movement, movements. 2011 has seen an
banditry and presence of increase in criminality in this
national and international region, what some are calling
armed groups. “Darfourization.”
North-west
A recovering region with
spontaneous returns of IDPs
and refugees. The DDR
process could create more South-East
durable conditions for a Lord’s Resistance Army actively
systematic return, however committing atrocities forcing
risks leaving a security vacuum. people off their land and
confining them to larger
villages.

18. Displacement

19. Humanitarian Access Constraints
1 Attacks by national and foreign rebel groups – Close to 10 rebel
groups and national and international forces operate in CAR. Armed
attacks and conflicts in the north, east and south-east make it often too
dangerous for humanitarian access and military authority pose access
restrictions.
2 Banditry and highway robbers – Banditry is a chronic problem
throughout the entire of the CAR, especially along main roads where
civilians are often the targets of armed ambushes. Humanitarian
organisations are victim to armed robbery, looting and kidnapping.
3 Difficult terrain and poor infrastructure – Slightly larger than
France, CAR has less than 700km of paved roads. During the May-
November rainy season, there is no road access to the east and north-
east. UNHAS, ICRC and BINUCA flights are the only domestics flights
available to most humanitarians and are often disrupted during the rainy
season.
Humanitarian Situation | 19

20. Humanitarian Needs

21. Health
Quick facts Years of life lost by causes
7% Injuries
• Less than 30% of population have Non-communicable
diseases
access to health services and 78% live
more than 10km from the nearest health 14%
center
78% Communicable
• 1 physician for more than 55,500 diseases
people and 1 health worker for 7,000
people
• Life expectancy fell from 52 to 48
Causes of death in children under-5
between 1990 and 2007 being at 48 for
women and 48 for men 1% Injuries
2% Congenital
• 47% of births not assisted abnormalities
4% Neonatal
sepsis
28% Malaria
• Maternal mortality rate at 850 per 7% Birth asphyxia
100,000 as compared to 620 for 8% Prematurity 14%
regional average 17%
Diarrhea 15%
• Under-5 mortality rate at 179 per 1,000 Pneumonia
as compared to 127 for regional Other
average
Sources: Preliminary MICS IV (2010), World Bank, WHO Health Profile (Apr 2011) Humanitarian Needs | 21

22. HIV/AIDS
Quick facts HIV/AIDS prevalence by prefecture for
women and men aged 15-49 (%)
• 5.9% of population are HIV-positive, with
over 10% infected in some prefectures
• Women significantly more affected, with
no data
6.3% affected as compared to 5.4% of
men
4.4
• Prevalence 2.94 times higher in urban 9.2
areas than rural 6 0.8 2.1
3.9
9.1 3.3 14.3
• Prevalence of contraceptives only 19% 4
as compared to 24% regional average 7.9 2
5.3
2.4 10.7% in
6.3 Bangui
Source: Preliminary MICS IV (2010) Humanitarian Needs | 22

23. Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Quick facts Access to improved water source
• 67% of the population (92% in urban CAR
and 51% in rural areas) using improved 67%
drinking water source
• Only 34% of population (43% in urban Sub-Saharan Africa
and 14% in rural areas) using improved 60%
sanitation facilities
• 25% of 4,000 water points in the country
currently not functioning, and awareness Access to improved sanitation
levels as well as technical expertise to
maintain water points is insufficient. CAR
• Open-air defecation common 34%
• No waste management system Sub-Saharan Africa
31%
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (2010) Humanitarian Needs | 23

24. Food Security and Nutrition
Quick facts
• Two in five children under the age of
five chronically malnourished, and one
in ten are underweight.
• High agricultural potential with 15 million
ha arable land, one of the highest
rainfalls per person in the world and
74% of the population engaged in
agriculture. Low agricultural output with
only 4% of arable land cultivated each
year.
• 94% of farming is subsistence and the
average cultivated land per farmer is
less than 0.5 hectares
Cultivated Arable land
land
Source: Preliminary MICS IV (2010), WASH Cluster (2011) Humanitarian Needs | 24

25. Education
Quick facts Pupils per teacher in Sub-Saharan Africa
(top 20)
• Only 1.5% of GDP spent on education,
almost 5% below African average Central African Republic 95 pupils
Rwanda 68 for every
teacher
• Primary net enrolment rate 63% in 2009 Congo 64
Mozambique 61
• Pupil to teacher ratio 95:1 in primary Chad 61
Ethiopia 58
education
Tanzania 54
• Almost 60% of teacher are parents Burundi 51
Mali 50
• Only 36% of pupils completed basic Uganda 49
Burkina Faso 49
primary education in 2009
Madagascar 48
Kenya 47
• Adult literacy rate for 69.8% men and
Cameroon 46
47.2% for women
Benin 45
Guinea 44
Côte d’Ivoire 42
Togo 42
Mauritania 39
Niger 39
20 40 60 80 100
pupils
Source: Min. of Education (2009), UNESCO (2009) Humanitarian Needs | 25

26. Protection
Quick facts
• An estimated 66,545 Central Africans
are precariously returning, and an
estimated 105,206 remain displaced Study by the IDMC and Watchlist in
within the CAR. More than 22,180 were Geneva in May 2011 found evidence that
newly displaced in 2011 in the north and
the east due to ongoing conflicts.
“at least four of the six grave
164,905 Central Africans are refugees in violations monitored under UN
neighboring countries. Security Council Resolution 1612
• Doubts remains over the impartiality and (2005) are still being committed
independence of judicial system which against children in CAR: the
is weak and often absent. abduction of children, recruitment
• Poor legal documentation of citizens. or use of child soldiers, attacks
against schools, and the denial of
• Common issues include domestic
violence, forced and early marriage and humanitarian access to children.”
accusations related to witchcraft
resolving in violent confrontations.
Traditions often overplay human rights
violations, allowing them to be left Source: UN OCHA (2011), IDMC/Watchlist (May 2011)
unpunished
Humanitarian Needs | 26

27. Humanitarian Response

28. Field Presence

29. Humanitarian Strategy
1 Provide coordinated and vital assistance in response to the needs
of people affected by violence or other humanitarian crisis based on
needs assessments and a human rights-based approach while
maintaining an emergency capacity response for the rest of the country.
2 Protect people affected by conflict, in particular IDPs, refugees,
returnees and other people of concern whose rights have been violated
and need protection and advocacy support. This includes chiefly the
development of a national legal framework for protection, the promotion
of rule of law and human rights and the reinforcement of key institutions
and civil society.
3 Support IDPs, returnees, host communities and others living in
post-emergency settings in restarting their lives by ensuring minimum
infrastructures and basic social services and an increase in self-
reliance.
Humanitarian Response | 29

30. Humanitarian Projects
Number of proposed projects and priorities per sector (as of 17 Nov 2011)
Health
Food Security
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Early Recovery
Education
Protection Priority
Immediate
Nutrition
High
Coordination and Support Services Medium
Not Specified Not Specified
Multi-Sector Assistance to Refugees
5 projects 10 15 20 25 30
Source: OCHA FTS Humanitarian Response | 30

31. US$141 M required 43%
Humanitarian Requirements in 2011 funded
Requirements and funding per sector (as of 17 Nov 2011)
Food Security
33.5
Health required
27.4
Multi-Sector Assistance to Refugees
23.6
Protection
16.4
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
11.2
Nutrition
8.2 Funding*
Early Recovery
Requirements
7.9
Coordination and Support Services *Funding include contributions,
7.8 commitments and carry-over.
Education
5.6
Funding not yet allocated
0 US$10M 20M 30M
Source: OCHA FTS Humanitarian Response | 31

32. Challenges

33. Humanitarian Projects Chronically Underfunded
Requirements and Funding 2007 - 2011
Requirements
149 Funding at year-end
139 Funding* at mid-year
*Funding include
118 contributions, commitments
and carry-over.
90% 100
100M 91M required
73%
74% funded 44%
US$20M
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: OCHA FTS (June 2011) Challenges | 33

34. Challenges in the Transition to Early Recovery
1 Administrative branch fragile and limited.
2 Unpredictable security situation in post-conflict leave a handicap in
implementation of early recovery activities.
3 Poor baseline data and challenge in collecting data make it
difficult prioritize socio-economic projects and to formulate indicators for
monitoring and evaluation of the progress.
4 Low level and low capacity of local communities to self-manage
and maintain socio-economic structures and infrastructures developed
by humanitarian actors.
5 Lack of technical service support to the local communities in the
design, development and implementation of technical projects for the
rehabilitation of communities.
6 Sustainability of income-generating activities and factors blocking
private entrepreneurship. Challenges | 34

35. Development Assistance Rate Behind Others in the Region
Development aid to Sub-Saharan Africa increasing on average by 181% since 1985, and
only 37% to CAR
ODA Growth since 1985 (%)
Sub-Saharan Africa
700%
600
500
400
300
200
Central African Republic
100
0
-100
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009
Source: OECD (Aug 2011), Development Assistance Disbursements (constant USD), All donors
Challenges | 35

36. Security Sector Reform (SSR) slow to progress
Often misunderstood or thought to solely include the reform of law-
enforcement in the CAR, the ultimate objective of the SSR is make the
State’s ability to perform its duties most effectively to guarantee legal
security thus creating a climate conducive to the resumption of
economic activities leading to the economic autonomy of the CAR.
National approach adopted at the SSR Seminar in April 2008 outlining 4 fundamental
assumptions:
1 Holistic and comprehensive approach to SSR meaning each component (civil or military)
must be coordinated
2 The SSR is based on actual national ownership, and the national context is the starting
point
3 The commitment of the entire government is essential to effective support to political
action and economic development
4 The SSR is inseparable from the democratic control of the sector, highlighting the crucial
role of Parliament, civil society, the media, etc.
Joint assessment of national and international experts in October 2009 found that the
majority of short term tasks were carried out satisfactorily, however no progress since.
Window of opportunity with the creation of a SSR unit within BINUCA and a push to
encourage parties involved to re-launch the SSR.
Challenges | 36

37. Perspectives for 2011 and 2012 – Peace Consolidation
Opportunities Threats
• Disarmament of 5 political-military • SSR heavily reliant on strong national
groups underway in the field, and plan approach in the State and a revision of
for reintegration of 8,000 former the national SSR approach of which
combatants both are lacking
• Returns to the north-west driven by • Increased criminality partnered with a
confidence in an post-crisis population weak military leave population
vulnerable, especially along the
• Convention of Patriots for Justice and international borders
Peace (CPJP), the only armed group
not to have signed the June 2008 • Violent ethnic radicalization, especially
Libreville Comprehensive Peace in the northern and eastern regions and
Agreement, signed cease-fire with the tensions with transhumance groups
Government of CAR in June 2011
opening the doors for their integration • Lord’s Resistance Army increasingly
into the DDR process active in the south-east
Security, collaboration and good Slip back into full-scale violence
governance allows opens up
doors for growth and
development
Challenges | 37

38. Perspectives for 2011 and 2012 – Economic Growth
Opportunities Threats
• Second Poverty Reduction Strategy • Little room for development and growth
Paper 2011-2015 underway, promoting within a context of poor governance
a common strategy for the government
and development community • Poor infrastructure and violence inhibits
access to development actors
• Most of the population in the north-
western part of the country who were • Lack of the State in resource rich
displaced by the conflict between 2002 regions limit formal business activity
and 2006 have returned, are well
• Economic growth heavily dependent on
established and transitioning or ready to
peace consolidation
transition to recovery and take back
control of the agricultural sector • Weak interest and funding to early
recovery and development projects
• Increase in timber and diamond exports
help stimulate the GDP
Break circle of poverty and move Remain in circle of poverty and
into early recovery and dependence on foreign aid and
development humanitarian interventions
Challenges | 38

39. For more information, please visit http://hdptcar.net
and http://www.unocha.org
November 2011