List of heads of state of the Central African Republic
Heads of state
Table:
Central African Republic

French: République centrafricaine
Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka

Head of state
(Birth–Death)
Title

Portrait

Entered office

Left office

Political affiliations

Notes

David Dacko
(1930–2003)
President of the Provisional Government

14 August 1960[1]

12 December 1960[A]

MESAN

Dacko served as president of the government from 1 May 1959[2] until the country declared its independence on 13 August 1960.[3]

David Dacko
(1930–2003)
President

12 December 1960

1 January 1966[4]

Jean-Bédel Bokassa
(1921–1996)
President

1 January 1966[B]

4 December 1976

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Military

Bokassa seized power from Dacko in a successful coup d'état. He changed his name to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa after converting to Islam on 20 October 1976.[5]

MESAN[C]

Central African Empire

French: Empire centrafricain

Bokassa I
(1921–1996)
Emperor

4 December 1976[D]

21 September 1979[6]

MESAN

Bokassa spent approximately US$20 million—one third of the country's annual budget—on his coronation ceremony on 4 December 1977.[7]

Central African Republic

French: République centrafricaine
Sango: Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka

David Dacko
(1930–2003)
President

21 September 1979[E]

1 September 1981[8]

MESAN

This was Dacko's second time as president of the Central African Republic. In February 1980, Dacko established the Central African Democratic Union (UDC) as the country's only political party.[9]

UDC

André Kolingba
(1936–2010)
Chairman of the Military Committee of National Recovery

1 September 1981[F]

21 September 1985[G]

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Military

Kolingba seized power from Dacko in a successful coup d'état. Ange-Félix Patassé, with the assistance of François Bozizé, launched an unsuccessful coup d'état against the Kolingba government on 3 March 1982.[10]

André Kolingba
(1936–2010)
President and Head of State

21 September 1985

21 November 1986

Kolingba established the Central African Democratic Rally (RDC) as the country's only party in May 1986.[11]

RDC

André Kolingba
(1936–2010)
President

21 November 1986[H]

22 October 1993

Ange-Félix Patassé
(1937–2011)
President

22 October 1993[I][12]

15 March 2003

MLPC

Bozizé launched an unsuccessful coup d'état against the Patassé government on 28 May 2001.[13]

François Bozizé
(1946–)
President

15 March 2003[J][14]

24 March 2013

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Military

Bozizé seized power from Patassé in a successful coup d'état. Shortly after, he appointed Abel Goumba as Prime Minister. Goumba had served as acting Prime Minister in 1959, before being overthrown by Dacko.[15]

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Independent

Michel Djotodia
(1949–)
President

24 March 2013[K]

18 August 2013

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Military

Djotodia was the leader of the Séléka rebel coalition in the ongoing civil war.

Michel Djotodia
(1949–)
Head of State of the Transition

18 August 2013

10 January 2014[L]

Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet
(1972–)
Acting Head of State of the Transition

10 January 2014

23 January 2014

RPR

Nguendet succeeded Djotodia after his resignation due to the continued conflict.

Catherine Samba-Panza
(1954–)
Head of State of the Transition

23 January 2014

30 March 2016

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Independent

Samba-Panza became the first female head of state of the Central African Republic.

Faustin-Archange Touadéra
(1957–)
President

30 March 2016

30 March 2019

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Independent

Previously, Touadéra served as Prime Minister under Bozizé from 2008 until 2013.

Catherine Samba-Panza

(1954–)

Head of State of the Transitio

30 March 2019

30 March 2019

Independent

Anicet-Georges Dologuélé Head of State of the Transitio

(1954–)

30 March 2019

Independent

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