Central African Republic

The struggle

Ubangi-Shari was leased to concession companies whose rubber and cotton quotas provoked the Kongo-Wara rebellion of 1928–31. Barthélemy Boganda, the territory's first Catholic priest turned politician, founded MESAN and argued for a united Central African state spanning the whole region. He died in a plane crash in March 1959, months before independence on 13 August 1960.

Key people

• Barthélemy Boganda

  1910–1959

  Founder of MESAN and of the republic's idea

• Karnu

  1890–1928

  Led the Kongo-Wara rebellion against forced labour

• David Dacko

  1930–2003

  First president