Central African Republic after Live Aid

The Central African Republic (CAR), an independent republic, has been unstable since its independence from France in 1960 and is one of the least-developed and poverty savaged countries in the world, despite its wealth in mineral and natural resources.

Socio-political instability is the main factor hampering development; the consequence of rebellions, coups and inter-ethnic fighting during the last three decades. This has resulted in a deterioration of basic social and economic infrastructure, and has forced many young children out of school; the national net school enrolment of primary schoolchildren being just 63% 

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Time Line

• 1960 The Central African Republic becomes independent with David Dacko, nephew of former Prime Minister Barthelemy Boganda, as president.

• 1962 Dacko turns the Central African Republic into a one-party state with MESAN as the sole party.

• 1965 Dacko ousted by the army commander, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, as the country faces bankruptcy and a threatened nationwide strike.

• 1972 Bokassa declares himself president for life.

• 1976 Bokassa proclaims himself emperor and renames the country the "Central African Empire".

• 1979 Bokassa ousted in a coup led by David Dacko and backed by French troops after widespread protests in which many school children were arrested and massacred while in detention.

• 1981 Dacko deposed in a coup led by the army commander, Andre Kolingba.

• 1991 Political parties permitted to form.

• 1992 SOS Children begin their work in the country with the opening of the first SOS Children’s Village in Bangui at the request of the government.

• 1993 Ange-Felix Patasse beats Kolingba and Dacko in elections to become president, ending 12 years of military rule.

• 1997 France begins withdrawing its forces from the republic; African peacekeepers replace French troops.

• 1999 Patasse re-elected.
  

• 2000 Civil servants stage general strike over back-pay; rally organised by opposition groups who accuse President Patasse of mismanagement and corruption deteriorates into riots.

• 2003 Rebel leader Francois Bozize seizes Bangui, declares himself president and dissolves parliament.
  

• 2005 Bozize is named the winner of presidential elections after a run-off vote. Flooding in the capital, Bangui, leaves up to 20,000 people homeless. Thousands flee lawlessness in north-west CAR for southern Chad. Aid bodies appeal for help to deal with the "forgotten emergency".

• 2006 Rebels seize Birao, a town in the north-east. French fighter jets fire on rebel positions and try to regain control

• 2008 Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebels raid CAR. Ugandan army peruse them.
  

• 2009 UN report says more than a million people have been affected by civil unrest in CAR. SOS Children open a second village, Bouar. It includes an SOS Nursery, primary School, Medical Centre and Family Strengthening Programme. 
  

• 2010 Ugandan rebels attack northern town of Birao. Hundreds of children are abducted and forced to kill. Maternal mortality rate stands at 890 deaths per 100,000 live births - 7th worst in the world.
  

• 2011 Mr Bozize wins another term. The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warns that the Central country is in a state of chronic medical emergency because of epidemic diseases, conflict, an economic downturn and a poor health system.

• 2012 African Union deploys a military force to hunt down Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, believed to be in the Central African Republic.

• 2013 (April) Bozize ousted in a coup. New Seleka rebel coalition rapidly overruns north and centre of country. The country's infant mortality rate remains extremely high, a sign of a low development status, at 95.4 deaths per 1,000 live births - 4th worst in the world.

• 2013 (August)1.6 million people are in desperate need of food, water, sanitation and shelter. 60,000 people have fled the country, many to DR Congo. The UN warns that the CAR is in danger of becoming a 'failed state'. 

• 2013 (June) SOS Children launch an emergency programme to protect children and families affected by internal conflict in the Central African Republic.