FRANCOIS BOZIZE

François Bozizé was born on October 14, 1946, in what is now Gabon. He belongs to the Gbaya ethnic group and began his military career at a training college in Bouar, Central African Republic. Rising through the ranks, he became a second lieutenant in 1969 and a captain in 1975. By 1978, he was appointed Brigadier General by Emperor Bokassa I after an incident involving a French noncommissioned officer. His military career took a controversial turn when he ordered an attack on demonstrators demanding payment for their services. Following Bokassa's ousting in 1979, Bozizé was appointed Minister of Defense during the transitional government led by David Dacko.

Bozizé's political journey was tumultuous. After a coup attempt in 1982, he fled to France and was later arrested in Benin. Though he faced imprisonment and torture, he was acquitted of charges related to the coup and returned to France for nearly two years. During the 1990s, Central African Republic faced internal pressures to democratize. Bozizé ran for president in 1993 but received only a small fraction of the vote.

In the years that followed, Bozizé became a prominent military figure, serving as the Armed Forces Chief of Staff and supporting President Ange-Félix Patassé during periods of instability. However, tensions escalated, leading to a coup in March 2003, during which Bozizé seized power while Patassé was abroad. He appointed Abel Goumba as Prime Minister and suspended the constitution, later winning the presidential election in 2005.

Bozizé's presidency was marked by ongoing conflict and unrest, with a civil war emerging against the backdrop of rising rebellion led by the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity. Despite attempts at dialogue and peace agreements, violence persisted, displacing thousands and exacerbating poverty and corruption in the nation. His government faced criticism for failing to improve living standards, despite the Central African Republic's rich natural resources.

By 2013, Bozizé's regime faced a renewed assault from rebel forces. After a failed appeal for international support, he was overthrown and fled to Cameroon, eventually seeking asylum in Benin. He remained in exile but attempted to return to politics, announcing his candidacy for the 2015 presidential election. However, he was barred from running due to legal restrictions tied to his past actions.

In late 2019, Bozizé returned to the Central African Republic to pursue another presidential bid but faced accusations of plotting a coup. In September 2023, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for unspecified crimes, and an international arrest warrant was issued against him for human rights abuses committed during his presidency. He is currently residing in Guinea-Bissau.