Ange-Félix Patassé

**Ange-Félix Patassé** (25 January 1937 – 5 April 2011) be politician from Central Africa wey dey run things as president for Central African Republic from 1993 to 2003, when rebel leader François Bozizé come push am out for 2003 coup. Patassé na di first president for CAR history (since 1960) wey dem choose insyde wetin people sabi as correct democratic election (1993) wey happen because donor pressure on President André Kolingba plus United Nations Electoral Assistance Unit help dem too. 

## Political career

### 1960s–1970s: Rise to power
Patassé join Central African civil service for 1959, just before dem independence. He become agricultural engineer plus agricultural inspector for Ministry of Agriculture for July 1963, under President David Dacko. For December 1965, Dacko make am Director of Agriculture plus Minister of Development. For 1966, Jean-Bédel Bokassa take power by coup. Patassé be di 'cousin' of President Bokassa main wife, Catherine Denguiadé, and e get di trust of di new president, dey serve for almost all di governments wey Bokassa form. After Bokassa create di Council for di Central African Revolution (like di Libyan Revolutionary Command Council), Patassé be member of di Council of di Revolution with di rank of Prime Minister wey dey handle Posts plus Communications, Tourism, Water, Forests, Hunting and Fishing, plus e be di Custodian of di Seats of State (4 September 1976 – 14 December 1976). Dis time, Patassé dey follow Bokassa join Islam small, plus e change im name to Mustafa Patassé. After Bokassa become Emperor Bokassa I, Patassé sabi be Prime Minister den head of di first Imperial Government. E dey for dat position for 2 plus half years, when dem announce say Patassé don waka comot from office because e dey unwell. Patassé waka go France, where he dey stay for exile till dem overthrow Bokassa for September 1979. Small time before dem overthrow Bokassa , Patassé talk say e no dey support de Emperor plus e start de Front de Libération du Peuple Centrafricain (FLPC; Front wey go free Central African People).

Dem overthrown Emperor Bokassa, plus dem bring back President David Dacko wey French people support for 1979. Dacko tell dem make dem put Patassé for house arrest. Patassé try run go Republic of Chad, but e no work den dem catch am again. Later, dem free am because of some sickness wey dem talk say e get.

#### Ministerial roles under Bokassa
* Minister of Development (1 January 1966 – 5 April 1968)
* Minister of Transport den Energy (5 April 1968 – 17 September 1969)
* Minister of State for Development, Tourism, Transport plus Energy (17 September 1969 – 4 February 1970)
* Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Waters, Forests, Hunting, Tourism plus Transport (4 February 1970 – 25 June 1970)
* Minister of State for Development (25 June 1970 – 19 August 1970)
* Minister of State for Transport den Commerce (19 August 1970 – 25 November 1970)
* Minister of State for de Organization of Transport by Roads, Rivers plus Air (25 November 1970 – 19 October 1971)
* Minister of State for Civil Aviation (19 October 1971 – 13 May 1972)
* Minister of State for delegated by de President of de Republic for Rural Development (13 May 1972 – 20 March 1973)
* Minister of State for Public Health den Social Affairs (20 March 1973 – 16 October 1973)
* Minister of State delegated by de President of de Republic for Missions (16 October 1973 – 1 February 1974)
* Minister of State for Tourism, Waters, Forests, Hunting plus Fishing (15 June 1974 – 4 April 1976)
* Minister of State  wey de serve as Agricultural Councilor for de Head of State (10 April 1976 – 24 May 1976)
* Minister of State for Tourism, Water, Forests, Hunting plus Fishing (24 May 1976 – 4 September 1976)

### 1980s: Return to politics den further exile

### First presidential term (1993–1999)
After Kolingba regime spoil first elections for 1992, dem do second elections. For second round wey be 19 September 1993, Patassé take first place with 37 percent of vote, him dey far ahead of him nearest rivals, Kolingba, David Dacko plus Abel Goumba. Him beat Goumba for runoff. Na because of foreign pressure, especially from US den help from UN, dis elections finally be fair den democratic. Patassé be di first president wey take power like dat for di country history. When he enter office for 22 October 1993; e be di first (and so far, only) time wey sitting government gree hand over power to di opposition without wahala. For Patassé first six years wey e dey run tings (22 October 1993 – 1999), e be like economy small small dey better as givers don start to bring money again after dem elections wey show say everything dey legit.

Patassé get plenty people wey dey support am from him own Sara-Kaba tribe, dem be de biggest group for Central Africa. E still get Souma people from him hometown Paoua den Kare people from him mama side. Most of him supporters dey for de most populous northwestern savanna side of CAR, so dem sabi call dem 'northerners', while all di past presidents na from either di forest or Ubangi River side for di south, plus dem supporters dey call dem 'southerners'. As populist, Patassé no dey shy to show say e be candidate wey stand for di majority wey dey face di privileges wey southerners dey enjoy for di plenty juicy jobs for public plus parastatal sectors. E be clear say di Yakoma people don already get European education during colonial times  dem dey enjoy better treatment under Kolingba presidency. As President, Patassé bring down salary for Yakoma army wey him no trust, but him go create better-pay presidential guard plus other militias wey plenty be 'northerners'. Dis change wey dem do wey go against ethnic wahala make tension rise for di country, e make officers plus soldiers come dey against Patassé. Dis one lead to three straight mutinies by soldiers wey dem no de pay well for 1996–1997. Buildings den property wey dem destroy during dis wahala scatter di economy finish. Di first mutiny start for May 1996. Patassé government fit take control back with help from François Bozizé plus de French, but di way e dey depend on di French wey he dey talk bad about no help him matter. Him later use Libyan soldiers as bodyguard but e no help him reputation for ground or with di donors, even di US close their embassy temporarily. Di last mutiny wey serious no go end until early 1997, as dem fit manage bring small order after dem sign di Bangui Agreements, plus help from soldiers wey come from Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Mali, Senegal, den Togo. Di UN Security Council gree make dem send peace mission, MINURCA, for 1998. MINURCA get 1,350 African soldiers. Dis mutinies make di tension between di 'northerners' plus 'southerners' for CAR come dey worse pass before. 

### Second presidential term (1999–2003) den coup attempts
For di presidential election wey happen for September 1999, Patassé carry di day easy, he beat former presidents Kolingba plus Dacko. E win di first round with about 51.6% of di vote. Opposition leaders dey talk say di election no clean, dem dey accuse say dem rig am. During him second term, Patassé no dey popular again. For 2000, him former prime minister Jean-Luc Mandaba plus him pikin Hervé both die for small time, Weh make Mandaba family plus di youth group Flambeau centrafricain (FLAC) dey shout say Patassé don poison dem because e suspect say dem dey plan coup. For May 2001, dem try do coup wey no gree against Patassé. Kolingba plus maybe Bozizé dey insyde am. Two of dem sharp-sharp carry leg go abroad make dem no face court: Kolingba waka go Uganda, Bozizé follow him soldiers wey dey loyal to am go Chad.

After de 2001 coup wahala, Patassé government begin target di Yakoma for revenge attack. Plenty people wey dem no give trial, dem don kill am, and like 80,000 people don waka comot from dem town.  Dem kill plenty pipo for broad daylight for di street of Bangui.   For di next two years, foreign fighters from Libya plus Congolese rebels from di MLC (led by Jean-Pierre Bemba) come join fight against Bozizé loyalists. Later, dem find MLC guilty for International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crime wey dem do during di intervention, like murder, rape, pillage plus torture.

For October 2002, another coup try happen, dis time na Bozizé wey don come back from Chad with him boys. After one week wey dem dey fight, Patassé government, with help from Libyans plus MLC fighters, come win. Dem still dey bash de government for plenty human rights wahala wey dem troops dey cause, wey de include sexual violence plus plenty Chadian people wey dem kill for Bangui; plus, Patassé come dey control de press well well.

### 2003&#x2013;2008: Ouster plus criminal charges
Patassé comot de country go conference for Niger for 2003, den when e dey absent, Bozizé use am take Bangui on March 15. Even though dem no gree accept de takeover, nobody try to push de new leader away. After that, Patassé carry him bag go exile for Togo.

Even though dem nominate Patassé as MLPC presidential candidate for November 2004, on 30 December 2004, dem no allow am run for 2005 presidential election because Constitutional Court talk say him birth certificate plus land title get wahala. Na him be one among seven candidates wey dem no fit allow, while five people, wey include Bozizé, go fit stand. After dem sign agreement for Libreville, Gabon on 22 January 2005, all de candidates wey dem bar fit contest for March 13 election except Patassé, because dem say him dey face court matter. So, MLPC come support him last prime minister, Martin Ziguélé, to run for president.

Dem accuse Patassé say e don steal 70 billion Central African francs from di country treasury. E talk say dat one no be true, on top interview wey e do with Agence France-Presse for 21 December 2004, e say e no sabi anywhere wey e go fit find such plenty money to steal for place wey di budget na only 90–100 billion francs. Dem still accuse am of war crimes for di wahala wey come after di failed 2002 coup, wey rebels from di north of Democratic Republic of di Congo help Patassé, but dem dey blame dem say dem do plenty bad things. Patassé, di Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba plus three other guys dem charge for September 2004. But di government for Central African Republic no fit catch dem, so di courts pass di matter go International Criminal Court for April 2006.

### 2008&#x2013;2011: Return to Bangui, last presidential campaign, den death
For 7 December 2008, Patassé  come back to Central African Republic for de first time since dem remove am, plus e get government permission to join national dialogue. As e land for airport wey dey Bangui, e kiss di ground den talk say e no come judge but to find way wey go fit help dem solve di wahala wey dey ground for Central African Republic. For di talk, Patassé dey talk say dem no go fit solve di political wahala by just removing Bozizé from him position, but make dem do wetin? make dem organize 'democratic, clear den fair elections for 2010'.

Patassé talk for June 2009 say e go come out from im Togolese exile den go back Bangui make e prepare for 2010 presidential election, wey e wan stand as candidate. Even though Ziguélé don take over MPLC, Patassé yan say e go hold party congress when e come back. E finally land for Bangui on 30 October 2009, insyde one kind 'calm vibe'. E come meet Bozizé for November 9. After di meeting, Patassé run come thank Bozizé for statement wey e talk say dem don gist about di wahala wey dey happen for Central African Republic 'for a brotherly atmosphere' E still talk say e go stand as presidential candidate for 2010.

Patassé come second for January 2011 presidential election, e dey far back behind Bozizé, even though him health no strong for campaigning. E dey suffer from diabetes plus dem no gree make e travel go Equatorial Guinea for treatment for March 2011. Eventually, dem allow am move, but he land for hospital insyde Douala, Cameroon as he dey go Malabo, den him die there on 5 April 2011. Dem start talk say dem go give am state funeral.

## Ein personal life
Patassé first wife be Lucienne Patassé, dem get seven pikin - four girls den three boys. Patassé separate den divorce Lucienne during him first exile for Togo from 1982 go 1992. Lucienne Patassé, wey dem elect to National Assembly for 1993, die for 29 July 2000, at age 56. 

Him den marry Togolese woman, Angèle Patassé, she be first lady when him dey rule. De couple get three pikin. Ange-Félix den Angèle Patassé dey for exile for villa wey dey Lomé, Togo since 2003. Angèle Patassé die for Lomé for 3 December 2007 when she be 52 years.v

## Read further

* Jean-Marc Aractingi, La Politique à mes trousses (Politics at my heels), Editions l'Harmattan, Paris, 2006, Central Africa Chapter ( ).
* O’Toole, Thomas. "The Central African Republic: Political Reform and Social Malaise." In John F. Clark & David E. Gardinier, eds., *Political Reform in Francophone Africa*. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1997.
* Mehler, Andreas. "The Shaky Foundations, Adverse Circumstances, and Limited Achievements of Democratic Transition in the Central African Republic." In *The Fate of Africa's Democratic Experiments: Elites and Institutions*, ed. by Leonardo A. Villalón and Peter VonDoepp. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005, pp.&nbsp;126–152.
* Bradshaw, Richard. "Ending a Central African Mutiny." *Christian Science Monitor*, January 11, 1998.
* Kalck, Pierre. *Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic*. 3rd ed. Trans. Thomas O'Toole. Metuchen, N.J. & London: The Scarecrow Press, 2004.
* Saulnier, Pierre. *Le Centrafrique: Entre mythe et réalité*. Paris, L’Harmattan, 1998.
* Titley, Brian. *Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa*. London & Montreal: McGill–Queen's University Press, 1997.

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