Editing Central African Republic (section)

==== Civil wars ====
[[File:Rebel in northern CAR 01.jpg|thumb|Rebel militia in the northern countryside, 2007]]
{{See also|Central African Republic Bush War|Central African Republic Civil War}}
[[François Bozizé]] suspended the constitution and named a new cabinet, which included most opposition parties. [[Abel Goumba]] was named vice-president. Bozizé established a broad-based National Transition Council to draft a new constitution, and announced that he would step down and run for office once the new constitution was approved.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2003/04/28/bozize-step-down-after-transitional-period|title=Bozize to step down after transitional period|date=28 April 2003|website=The New Humanitarian|language=en|access-date=27 February 2020|archive-date=27 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227210349/http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2003/04/28/bozize-step-down-after-transitional-period|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2004, the [[Central African Republic Bush War]] began as forces opposed to Bozizé took up arms against his government. In May 2005, Bozizé won the presidential election, which excluded Patassé, and in 2006 fighting continued between the government and the rebels.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Polgreen|first=Lydia|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/world/africa/10africa.html|title=On the Run as War Crosses Another Line in Africa|date=10 December 2006|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=27 February 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211230556/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/world/africa/10africa.html|archive-date=11 December 2008|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In November 2006, Bozizé's government requested French military support to help them repel rebels who had taken control of towns in the country's northern regions.<ref name="bbc20061114">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6146748.stm |title=CAR hails French pledge on rebels |access-date=26 December 2012 |date=14 November 2006 |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411202855/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6146748.stm |archive-date=11 April 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Though the initial public details of the agreement pertained to logistics and intelligence, by December the French assistance included airstrikes by [[Dassault Mirage 2000]] fighters against rebel positions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/central-african-republic-hundreds-flee-birao-french-jets-strike|title=Central African Republic: Hundreds flee Birao as French jets strike – Central African Republic|date=1 December 2006|website=[[ReliefWeb]]|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227200339/https://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/central-african-republic-hundreds-flee-birao-french-jets-strike|archive-date=27 February 2020|access-date=27 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="bbc20061130">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6196652.stm |title=French planes attack CAR rebels |access-date=26 December 2012 |date=30 November 2006 |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108012738/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6196652.stm |archive-date=8 November 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

The Syrte Agreement in February and the Birao Peace Agreement in April 2007 called for a cessation of hostilities, the billeting of [[Democratic Front of the Central African People|FDPC]] fighters and their integration with FACA, the liberation of political prisoners, the integration of FDPC into government, an amnesty for the [[Union of Democratic Forces for Unity|UFDR]], its recognition as a political party, and the integration of its fighters into the national army. Several groups continued to fight but other groups signed on to the agreement or similar agreements with the government (e.g., UFR on 15 December 2008). The only major group not to sign an agreement at the time was the [[Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace|CPJP]], which continued its activities and signed a peace agreement with the government on 25 August 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PA-X: Peace Agreements Database |url=https://www.peaceagreements.org/view/807 |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=www.peaceagreements.org |archive-date=19 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119151638/https://www.peaceagreements.org/view/807 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2011, Bozizé was reelected in an election which was widely considered fraudulent.<ref name=CIA/>

In November 2012, [[Séléka]], a coalition of rebel groups, took over towns in the northern and central regions of the country. These groups eventually reached a peace deal with Bozizé's government in January 2013, involving a power-sharing government.<ref name=CIA/> The deal later broke down, and the rebels seized the capital in March 2013 and Bozizé fled the country.<ref name="cnn20130324">{{Cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/24/world/africa/central-african-republic-unrest/index.html |title=Central African Republic president flees capital amid violence, official says |date=24 March 2013 |access-date=24 March 2013 |publisher=CNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325043935/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/24/world/africa/central-african-republic-unrest/index.html |archive-date=25 March 2013 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name="nyt20130325">{{Cite news | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/world/africa/leader-of-central-african-republic-francois-bozize-is-in-cameroon.html | title =Leader of Central African Republic Fled to Cameroon, Official Says | author =Lydia Polgreen | work =The New York Times | date =25 March 2013 | access-date =26 February 2017 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170202135349/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/world/africa/leader-of-central-african-republic-francois-bozize-is-in-cameroon.html | archive-date =2 February 2017 | url-status =live | df =dmy-all }}</ref>
[[File:Refugees of the fighting in the Central African Republic observe Rwandan soldiers being dropped off at Bangui M'Poko International Airport in the Central African Republic Jan. 19, 2014 140119-F-RN211-760.jpg|thumb|left|[[Refugee]]s of the fighting in the Central African Republic, January 2014]]

[[Michel Djotodia]] took over as president. Prime Minister [[Nicolas Tiangaye]] requested a [[UN]] peacekeeping force from the [[UN Security Council]] and on 31 May former President Bozizé was indicted for crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide.<ref>[http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2013/crisiswatch-117.aspx "CrisisWatch N°117"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920154410/http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2013/crisiswatch-117.aspx |date=20 September 2013 }}. crisisgroup.org.</ref> By the end of the year, there were international warnings of a "genocide"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24800682|title=UN warning over Central African Republic genocide risk|work=BBC News|access-date=25 November 2013|date=4 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119131538/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24800682|archive-date=19 November 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-centralafrica-france-idUKBRE9AK0WU20131121|title=France says Central African Republic on verge of genocide|work=Reuters|access-date=25 November 2013|date=21 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123121217/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/21/uk-centralafrica-france-idUKBRE9AK0WU20131121|archive-date=23 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> and fighting was largely reprisal attacks on civilians by Seleka's predominantly Muslim fighters and Christian militias called "[[anti-balaka]]".<ref name = GuardianNov13/> By August 2013, there were reports of over 200,000 [[internally displaced persons]] (IDPs).<ref>[http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2013/crisiswatch-118.aspx "CrisisWatch N°118"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920153834/http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2013/crisiswatch-118.aspx |date=20 September 2013 }}. crisisgroup.org.</ref><ref>[http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2013/crisiswatch-119.aspx "CrisisWatch N°119"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920140045/http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-type/crisiswatch/2013/crisiswatch-119.aspx |date=20 September 2013 }}. crisisgroup.org.</ref>

[[President of France|French President]] [[François Hollande]] called on the [[UN Security Council]] and the [[African Union]] to increase their efforts to stabilize the country. On 18 February 2014, [[United Nations]] Secretary-General [[Ban Ki-moon]] called on the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] to immediately deploy 3,000 troops to the country, bolstering the 6,000 African Union soldiers and 2,000 French troops already in the country, to combat civilians being murdered in large numbers. The ''Séléka'' government was said to be divided,<ref>{{Cite news|author=Mark Tran|title=Central African Republic crisis to be scrutinised by UN security council|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/aug/14/central-african-republic-humanitarian-crisis-un|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 August 2013|access-date=11 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215021631/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/aug/14/central-african-republic-humanitarian-crisis-un|archive-date=15 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and in September 2013, Djotodia officially disbanded Seleka, but many rebels refused to disarm, becoming known as ex-Seleka, and veered further out of government control.<ref name = GuardianNov13>Smith, David (22 November 2013) [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/22/central-african-republic-verge-of-genocide Unspeakable horrors in a country on the verge of genocide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202011436/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/22/central-african-republic-verge-of-genocide |date=2 December 2016 }} ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 23 November 2013</ref> It is argued that the focus of the initial disarmament efforts exclusively on the Seleka inadvertently handed the anti-Balaka the upper hand, leading to the forced displacement of Muslim civilians by anti-Balaka in Bangui and western Central African Republic.<ref name=fp1015/>

On 11 January 2014, Michael Djotodia and Nicolas Tiengaye resigned as part of a deal negotiated at a regional summit in neighboring [[Chad]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25683279|title=CAR interim President Michel Djotodia resigns|work=BBC News|access-date=16 October 2014|date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012151730/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25683279|archive-date=12 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Catherine Samba-Panza]] was elected interim president by the National Transitional Council,<ref>{{Cite news |author=Paul-Marin Ngoupana |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-centralafrican-idUKBREA090O220140111 |title=Central African Republic's capital tense as ex-leader heads into exile |agency=Reuters |date=11 January 2014 |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=6 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140214060304/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/01/11/uk-centralafrican-idUKBREA090O220140111 |archive-date=14 February 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> becoming the first ever female Central African president. On 23 July 2014, following Congolese mediation efforts, Séléka and anti-balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement in [[Brazzaville]].<ref>"[http://www.lavoixdelamerique.com/content/rca-signature-d-un-accord-de-cessez-le-feu-a-brazzaville/1964081.html RCA : signature d’un accord de cessez-le-feu à Brazzaville] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729005744/http://www.lavoixdelamerique.com/content/rca-signature-d-un-accord-de-cessez-le-feu-a-brazzaville/1964081.html |date=29 July 2014 }}". VOA. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.</ref> By the end of 2014, the country was de facto partitioned with the anti-Balaka in the southwest and ex-Seleka in the northeast.<ref name=fp1015/> In March 2015, [[Samantha Power]], the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said 417 of the country's 436 mosques had been destroyed, and Muslim women were so scared of going out in public they were giving birth in their homes instead of going to the hospital.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/world/almost-all-436-central-african-republic-mosques-destroyed-u-s-diplomat-1.2284619|title=Almost all 436 Central African Republic mosques destroyed: U.S. diplomat|date=17 March 2015|access-date=15 March 2020|archive-date=27 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727184606/https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/world/almost-all-436-central-african-republic-mosques-destroyed-u-s-diplomat-1.2284619|url-status=live}}</ref> On 14 December 2015, Séléka rebel leaders declared an independent [[Republic of Logone]].<ref>"[https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0TZ0TW20151216 Rebel declares autonomous state in Central African Republic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518213619/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN0TZ0TW20151216 |date=18 May 2017 }}". Reuters. 16 December 2015.</ref>