Forgotten World (163): Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been unstable since its independence from France in 1960 and is one of the least-developed countries in the world. It has endured several coups and a notorious period under a self-declared emperor, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who headed a brutal regime which ended in 1979.
Today General François Bozizé, president and former coup leader, faces instability from mercenaries who helped him to power and from rebels. A pan-African military force (Minurca) has been in place since 2003 to restore order, but violence has spilled over from Sudan and Chad
Decades of instability have undermined the economy. The population of 4.4 million is among the poorest in the world and even the government struggles to pay wages to public sector workers.