Édouard Frank (born 5 April 1934) is a Central African magistrate and political figure. He was
Prime Minister of the Central African Republic from 15 March 1991 to 4 December 1992.
Biography
Frank was born on 5 April 1934 in
Grimari
Grimari is a city located in the Ouaka prefecture in Central African Republic, approximately away from the capital, Bangui. The politician Abel Goumba was born in Grimari.
History
On March 1, 1910, Grimari replaced Pouyamba as the capital of ...
to Casimir Fra and Philomene Pagoundji. He attended Ecole primaire in
Kouango
Kouango is a town located in the Central African Republic Prefectures of the Central African Republic, prefecture of Ouaka.
History
In February 2013 Kouango was captured by Séléka rebels. It was recaptured by government forces on 8 March 202 ...
and Ecole regionale in
Bambari
Bambari is a town in the Central African Republic, lying on the Ouaka River. It has a population of 41,356 (2003 census) and is the capital of Ouaka prefecture. Bambari is an important market town and home to Bambari Airport, and the Roma ...
from 1942 to 1948 and Collège Emile Gentil from 1948 to 1954. Later, he studied at the Ecole normale d'instituteurs in Bambari. He began teaching in 1955. Frank studied law from 1963 to 1965 at the ''
Institut des hautes études d'outre-mer'' (IHEOM), joining the judiciary service in July 1965. He pursued further studies at
Jean-Bedel Bokassa University (since renamed the
University of Bangui
The University of Bangui () is a public university located in Bangui, Central African Republic.
History
Before independence in Oubangui-Chari (later to be called the Central African Republic), most students going on to higher education headed f ...
) from 1972 to 1976.
[Bradshaw & Fandos-Rius 2016, p. 276]
Frank was appointed to the Bangui Court of Appeals in 1973. He became Chairman of the Supreme Court in 1980. He was appointed as Ambassador to France on 27 February 1982 by President
Andre Kolingba.
[
Frank presided over the 1986–1987 trial of former Emperor ]Jean-Bédel Bokassa
Jean-Bédel Bokassa (; 22 February 1921 – 3 November 1996) was a Central African politician and military officer who served as the second president of the Central African Republic (CAR), after seizing power in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d ...
.["Bokassa doomed by Bangui court"]
Associated Press, ''The New York Times'', 13 June 1987, section 1, page 5. This was described in the press as "the first time in the history of post-colonial Africa that a former chief of state was put on public trial with full guarantees for his defense". Bokassa was sentenced to death at the end of the trial in June 1987.[ The sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment, and Bokassa was released in 1993.][Mike Thomson]
"'Good old days' under Bokassa?"
BBC News, 2 January 2009. Frank became Cabinet Secretary on 5 January 1989.[
Frank was named Prime Minister on 15 March 1991. He was dismissed from this role on 4 December 1992. Ange Felix Patasse appointed him as President of the Constitutional Court on 1 March 1996.][ After the 2003 coup in which General ]François Bozizé
François Bozizé Yangouvonda (born 14 October 1946) is a Central African Republic, Central African politician who was List of heads of state of the Central African Republic, President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013. He was th ...
took power, Frank feared for his life and fled to France for four months.Vichy, France
Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789.
Known fo ...
. He has nine children, four of whom are in France, two are in Senegal and three are still in the Central African Republic.
Awards
*Central African Order of Merit (1993)[Bradshaw & Fandos-Rius 2016, p. 277]
Notes
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frank, Edouard
Prime ministers of the Central African Republic
1934 births
Living people
Central African Republic judges
University of Bangui alumni