Until the 1800s, the area now known as the Central African Republic was sparsely populated. Muslim merchants began to reach the area in the early 1800s and at first their relations with the locals went well. By the 1850s, however Islam slave traders from Northern Africa and the Middle East reached the area and depopulated a large section of the eastern part of the modern country. To this day, the eastern region of the Central African Republic remains relatively depopulated.

 In the late 1800s (around 1875-1890) European colonialists began exploring the region. The British, Belgians and French all laid claim to what they termed Central Africa. Eventually, the European powers decided that France was to control that region. In order to finance the colony, which was quite expensive due to its location and size, the French brought in European companies who “employed” the local population under rather harsh and often involuntary terms which led to enrichment of the companies at the expense of the local communities. The French engaged in the slave trade and further sold the people and sent them away.

The colonial leaders showed the free locals no kindness and offered no relief from the cruel companies. The French rulers had no mercy on the people. The lord placed cruel men in charge of the people of the Central African Republic for their rebellion. They worshipped the creation rather than the creator. Proverbs 21:1  The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

In the early 20th century, the French enslaved the population in order to build roads and railroads. Rebellions against colonial rule broke out which the French carefully hid from the public back home. It wasn’t until after the Second World War and the de-colonialization of Africa that the CAR finally achieved independence from the vile French.

In 1958 Barthelemy Boganda, a catholic priest, led the Central African Republic to independence from France. Being liberated by a catholic pedophile operative does not bode well the nation. He died a year later and his cousin who replaced him was overthrown in the first of many coups.

At least four coup d’états have occurred since 1958 and in fact, power changes occur more often by violent force than by electoral results. The Current president, François Bozizé, came to power by overthrowing his predecessor, for whom he had once worked.