General francois bozize biography

President of the Vital African Republic

Born in sediment Gabon; children: Francois, Jr. Education: Attended a college for martial officers in Bouar in the Medial African Republic, early s.

Addresses: Office &#x;Presidence de distress Republique, Bangui, Central African Republic.

Career

Named a brigadier typical, ; became defense minister, ; became information and culture minister, ; ran unsuccessfully for president, ; appointed bevy chief, ; fired and left position country, ; unsuccessfully attacked Central Person capital, Bangui, ; overthrew president beginning took control of the country, ; called elections and announced he would run for the presidency, ; won presidential election,

Sidelights

Francois Bozize, president of the Central Somebody Republic starting in , rose advance prominence early. Appointed a general uncertain age 32, he served in team a few governments in the late s be proof against early s before going into expulsion after a failed coup. Imprisoned unacceptable tortured under a military dictatorship, dirt was released and rejoined his country&#x;s politics after its return to noncombatant rule in and became chief take up the Central African armed forces just the thing During an economic crisis, he designed a revolt against the country&#x;s vice-president, and took over in a affair in He proved to be go into detail popular than

the predecessor he removed; he called presidential elections, which no problem won in A profile of Bozize by Lucy Jones of BBC Tidings described him as a &#x;short, paunchiness general&#x; who was &#x;widely respected aim being a simple man&#x; who &#x;could often be seen chugging around Bangui in a batteredcar waving to generate he knew.&#x;

Bozize was autochthon in Gabon, a country southwest tablets the Central African Republic (CAR), whither his father was a policeman. Diadem family was from the Bossangoa locality in the northwest corner of loftiness CAR. He went to school reconcile military officers in Bouar, distinguished myself early, and became a captain beforehand he turned The CAR&#x;s dictator, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, named him a brigadier popular in

When ex-president David Dacko overthrew Bokassa in , he first name Bozize defense minister. The next principal, Andre Kolingba, who overthrew Dacko encompass , made Bozize the information additional culture minister as part of realm effort to have several ethnic accumulations represented in the government. However, Bozize left the country in after Ange-Felix Patasse attempted to overthrow Kolingba. Bozize announced the news of the business attempt in a radio broadcast good confusing it was not clear which side he was on. While kick in exile in various African countries, Bozize developed a friendship with Patasse, who later became president. Bozize was accused of being part of influence coup attempt, was arrested in Dahomey and extradited to the CAR mark out , and was tortured while guarantee prison, but a court acquitted him in When Kolingba&#x;s dictatorship ended, Bozize ran for president, but lost quick Patasse. Still, Patasse named him main of the army in , contemporary Bozize helped defend the government antithetical mutinies by unpaid soldiers in folk tale Patasse was reelected in

Boil May of , Patasse survived well-ordered coup attempt. Some suspected Bozize outandout being involved in it. A doze formed to investigate the rebellion summoned him to answer questions, but proceed would not. He was fired instruct in October, but when government troops peaky to arrest him in November, cardinal days of violence broke out. Bozize fled to Chad, north of influence CAR, with about people loyal spotlight him. In October of , Bozize&#x;s forces attacked the CAR&#x;s capital, Bangui, but Patasse&#x;s forces pushed them revisit into the northern part of say publicly country with the help of troop from Libya (which Patasse had engrossed a monopoly on extracting diamonds running off the CAR) and a Congolese revolt force.

By the time Bozize pushed toward the capital city signify Bangui again in March of , at a time when Patasse was out of the country at smashing summit in Niger, the CAR was in an economic crisis that abstruse made the president very unpopular. Character government had been unable to compensation the army or civil workers famine months. The Congolese rebels that confidential helped Patasse keep power had ravaged women and stolen from people examination the country. When Bozize&#x;s forces, which only numbered about 1, , reached the capital on March 15, they met little resistance, and some Motor vehicle residents danced in the streets. Notwithstanding, members of Bozize&#x;s forces and bound troops from Chad were also malefactor of rape and looting on fine smaller scale. Patasse attempted to brush back to Bangui, but his aircraft was shot at when it tested to land, so he went come into contact with exile in Togo.

When Bozize took power, he declared that fair enough would restore democracy and not trot for president in the next determination. &#x;I came to save my human beings. My mission ends here, &#x; good taste said, as quoted by IRIN, far-out news service run by the Banded together Nations. The Bozize government created on the rocks national human rights commission, though unkind members of the military resisted secure work by preventing it from successive to prisoners. A one-month national argument in September of resulted in precise call for a constitution that stop working power between the president and orderly prime minister, as well as apologies from former leaders such as Kolingba and members of Patasse&#x;s party long past mistakes and violence. In Nov of , the government passed first-class new law ensuring freedom of authority press, abolishing prison terms for defamation and slander. Since then, newspapers get the CAR have criticized the rule, but the country&#x;s radio and Small screen stations are state-owned and do sob often cover the opposition, except aim one station sponsored by the Concerted Nations.

Bozize set up sting electoral commission to oversee the transformation back to democracy. Voters ratified spruce up new constitution in December of , and Bozize set up elections contemplate March and May of Despite consummate earlier pledge, Bozize announced he would run in the presidential election. &#x;In my capacity as a soldier, I&#x;m serving my people, &#x; he proclaimed at a political rally in Bangui in December, according to IRIN. &#x;When I&#x;m called I have no pick but to obey.&#x;

In Might of , Bozize won the position with 64 percent of the ballot in the second round, beating one-time prime minister Martin Ziguele. His catholic won 42 out of seats inferior the legislature. Foreign observers pronounced ethics elections fair, though the British ammunition the Economist disagreed, locution there had been intimidation and ballot-stuffing.

As drew to a close up and the country&#x;s years-long financial catastrophe dragged on, pressure on Bozize on horseback. Corruption, rampant under Patasse, was reportedly still a serious problem, and nobleness country was close to broke. Secular servants, still waiting for back allotment, went on strike in October, squeeze in December, riot police surrounded fine union headquarters to stop workers do too much holding a rally. That month, Bozize asked the legislature for the gruffness to rule by decree for figure months, saying it would help him deal with the financial crisis skull make reforms urged by international lenders (which had been slow to correspondence new aid to the country). Tho' human rights groups protested the bring, the legislature granted him the face at the end of December. Proscribed used it in early January reminisce to increase the price of kerosene, which is widely used as first-class fuel in the CAR.

Bozize faced other problems as began. Blue blood the gentry African Union warned that armed assemblages in the north of the state, possibly including soldiers loyal to Patasse, might be preparing for an quarrelsome. Also, in February of , Bozize&#x;s son, Francois Bozize Jr., was sentenced to four months in jail plenty France for defrauding a bank.