Daco, David

Born in the family of a small landowner. He graduated from the teacher training school in Muyonji ( Middle Congo ). Before politics, he worked as a teacher. In recent years, before the CAR gained independence from France ( August 13, 1960 ), he was one of the closest associates of the founding father of an independent Central African state and part-time uncle Barthelemy Boganda , who at that time was the prime minister of the transitional government. He served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock (May 1957 - August 1958 ), Minister of Administrative Affairs (August 1958 - December 1958 ), Minister of Internal Affairs, Trade and Economics (December 1958 - March 1959 ). After the death of Boganda in a plane crash in March 1959 , Daco became the new head of the transitional government, and from August 14, 1960 , the first president of the independent Central African Republic . The first six years of independence of the Central African Republic fell on his rule.

Dako was removed from power as a result of a coup d'etat carried out on January 1, 1966 by his cousin, chief of the General Staff of the armed forces of the Central African Republic , Colonel Jean-Bedel Bokassa . In the first few years of his dictatorship, he was under house arrest, then released, rehabilitated, and appointed adviser to the president (and then emperor ) of Bokassa.

September 20, 1979 , with military support from France, Daco led a bloodless rebellion against Bokassa ( Operation Barracuda ) and was reinstated as president of the Central African Republic . Under pressure from popular rallies, he was forced to approve the new constitution of the country, which provided for the presidential election (elected for 6 years, had the right to appoint a prime minister and government ministers). A multi-party system and respect for human rights were proclaimed, and an independent judiciary was created. In March 1981 , Daco won the presidential election, gaining 50.23% of the vote. Immediately after the vote, the rejection of democratic reforms began. One of Daco’s first decisions after the inauguration was to impose a state of emergency: two opposition parties were dissolved, another was suspended, some opposition leaders were arrested, and parliamentary elections were canceled. This, however, the Daco regime did not save. On September 1, 1981 , as a result of another coup, led by General Andre Colingba , Daco was overthrown.

In 1992 and 1999 Daco participated in the presidential election, but attempts to regain power in a democratic way were unsuccessful.

He died in the capital of Cameroon, Yaounde , where he underwent a course of treatment, at the age of 73 years.