Crisis in the Central African Republic: Is it a religious war in a godforsaken country or something else?

Tomolya, János (2014) Crisis in the Central African Republic: Is it a religious war in a godforsaken country or something else? ACADEMIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH IN MILITARY AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, 13 (3). pp. 456-477. ISSN 2498-5392

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Abstract

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country located in the centre of Africa. Bordered by seven other countries in the heart of the African continent, it was ruled for most of the years after independence from France in 1960 by the self– styled “Emperor”, Jean–Bédel Bokassa. A series of coups followed, with power changing hands frequently. With more than 80 different ethnic groups, a mix of Christians, Muslims and followers of indigenous faiths, the country is notoriously difficult to rule, despite having a population of only 4.6 million. Despite significant deposits of gold, diamonds and uranium, and vast troves of timber, it is among the poorest nations on Earth, sitting just seven places from the bottom of the UN’s human development index. Chronic poor governance and lack of an efficient state has denied the wider population the benefits of the country’s potential riches. [1] Chaos in the Central African Republic (CAR) is about power, not religion, this is neither jihad nor crusade. Fighting in CAR is over political power and money, with the capitol city Bangui as the prize.

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