On 1 September 1981, General André Kolingba deposed President David Dacko of the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...

in a bloodless coup while Dacko was away from the country traveling to an official state visit in

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

. The day after the coup a "Military Committee for National Recovery" (, CMRN) was established and was led by Kolingba. The CMRN then suspended the constitution and limited political party activity. Central African Republic specialists Richard Bradshaw and Carlos Fandos-Rius state that, in the 1981 coup, Kolingba "seized power with French support". Likewise, historian Brian Titley notes that the 800 French soldiers in the country had orders not to interfere. In 1991, DGSE head Pierre Marion admitted that the French military advisor had played a role in the coup; Mantion had been stationed in the Central African Republic to serve as head of the Presidential Guard shortly before the coup took place, and retained this powerful position throughout the Kolingba regime. Kolingba's military regime promised to hold election and get rid of corruption but over the next four years corruption increased and the CMRN repeatedly pushed back planned election until 1987. In 1982 the regime survived a coup attempt.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1981 Central African Republic coup d'etat 1980s coups d'état and coup attempts Military coups in the Central African Republic 1981 in the Central African Republic September 1981 in Africa Conflicts in 1981