The Battle of Bangui occurred in March 2013, during the ongoing

Central African Republic Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Central African Republic Civil War , image = , caption = Current military situation in Central African Republic (For a detailed map of the current military situation, see ...

, and resulted in

Séléka Séléka CPSK-CPJP-UFDR was an alliance of rebel militia groups that subjugated the Central African Republic (CAR) on 24 March 2013. After its official dissolution in September 2013, the remaining rebel groups became known as Ex-Séléka. Sél� ...

taking power in the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

. With the

Central African Armed Forces The Central African Armed Forces (french: Forces armées centrafricaines; FACA) are the armed forces of the Central African Republic and have been barely functional since the outbreak of the civil war in 2012. Today they are among the world's we ...

and international soldiers absent, most of the resistance was raised by South African soldiers.

Background

On 18 March 2013, the rebels, having taken over

Gambo Gambo may refer to: Places * Gambo, Central African Republic, a town in the Central African Republic * Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador Gambo is a town and designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is in the nor ...

and

Bangassou Bangassou is a city in the south eastern Central African Republic, lying on the north bank of the Mbomou River. It has a population of 24,447 (2003 census) and is the capital of the Mbomou prefecture. It is known for its wildlife, market, and near ...

, threatened to take up arms again if their demands for the release of political prisoners, the integration of their forces into the national army and for

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

n soldiers to leave the country, were not met within 72 hours. Three days later, they took control of the towns of Damara and

Bossangoa Bossangoa is the capital of Ouham, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. The town has a population of 36,478 (2003 census). It is located 303 km (189 mi) north of the country's capital, Bangui. The Ouham River passe ...

Battle

On 23 March Séléka rebels entered Bangui's outskirts. At 19:00 Christian Narkoyo, spokesman of Séléka, announced that rebel forces had crossed the PK12 neighbourhood with little resistance. Rebels also cut electricity from city by turning off Bouali power plant. In reaction to rebel advancements,

French forces The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the French Army, Army, the French Navy, Navy, the French Air and Space Force, Air and Space Force and the National Gendarmerie, Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The Preside ...

secured Bangui airport. At 8:15 on 24 March fighting erupted in the city centre. At 8:48 Djouma Narkoyo announced that rebels had captured the presidential palace and that President

François Bozizé François Bozizé Yangouvonda (born 14 October 1946) is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013. Bozizé rose to become a high-ranking army officer in the 1970s, under the rule of Jean-B� ...

had fled. By 12:00 it was announced that the rebels controlled the entire city with only some pockets of resistance remaining. On 18:31

Michel Djotodia Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia (born c. 1949) is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014. He was the first Muslim to hold that office in the predominantly Christian country. Djotodia was a l ...

declared himself new President of the country.

References

Central African Republic Civil War Battles involving South Africa 2013 in the Central African Republic Conflicts in 2013 Battles in 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bangui, Battle of