Training
Officially, it is compulsory for all children
to attend school for eight years, but the education
sector is facing enormous problems as a result of
political unrest and armed conflicts. There is a
shortage of both money and educated teachers.
The school starts at the age of six. The first stage
comprises six years and the subsequent stage seven
years. More than nine out of ten children start first
grade, but many are forced to leave school early,
primarily to contribute to the family's livelihood
through work. Only one fifth of the students start at
the higher level.
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COUNTRYAAH:
Country facts of Central African Republic, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.
The shortage of teachers is chronic and the majority
of those who work as teachers lack vocational education.
Low or missing wages are a reason for the teacher
shortage. Another is the AIDS epidemic that has harmed
so many deaths that the newly graduated teachers are not
enough. The number of pupils per teacher is among the
highest in Africa.
The chaos and refugee flows of recent years also make
it difficult to organize teaching. The 2012 wave of
violence (see Modern history), according to the UN
Children's Fund Unicef, led to seven out of ten children
not returning to school when the new semester started.
The crisis for the school system has led to a very
low level of education. Almost four out of ten adults
can read and write, and the proportion is equally low
among younger people.
Higher studies are conducted at the country's only
university in Bangui. There are also four colleges. Many
academics in the Central African Republic have educated
themselves in France.
 FACTS - EDUCATION
Proportion of children starting primary
school
68.1 percent (2012)
Number of pupils per teacher in primary
school
83 (2016)
Reading and writing skills
36.8 percent (2010)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of GDP
7.8 percent (2011)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of the state budget
7.8 percent (2011)
2019
December
At least 30 dead in unrest in Bangui
December 26
Fighting between militiamen and shop owners in the
PK-5 district of Bangui requires at least about 30
lives. The unrest is triggered when merchants take to
arms in protest of the militia starting to demand a new
tax, according to an imam from the area quoted by the
AFP news agency. Between 40 and 50 stores must have been
burned down in connection with the violence. PK5 is now
dominated by Muslims who took refuge there in connection
with previous years' fighting.
Bozizé back in CAR
December 16th
Former President François Bozizé returns to his home
country after six years in exile. It announces
representatives of his party National Assembly Movement
Kwa Na Kwa, prompting speculation about whether he
intends to take part in next year's presidential
election. In 2013, an international arrest warrant was
issued for Bozizé, which is accused of crimes against
humanity , among other things . When he makes his first
public appearance a few days later, he is met by
thousands of followers.
September
At least 38 dead in new battles in the Northeast
September 16th
At least 38 people are killed in fighting between two
militia groups, the Central African Republic's rebirth (FPRC)
and the Central African Freedom Fighters for Justice (MLCJ)
movement, in the city of Birao, in the northeastern part
of the country, near the border with Sudan. Both groups
participated in and signed the peace agreement in
February this year (see February 2019).
The UN facilitates the arms embargo
September 12
The UN decides to ease the arms embargo on the
Central African Republic. This means that the country's
defense forces can procure weapons of a certain caliber
(14.5 mm or less) if they alert the UN at least 20 days
in advance. According to the rules, no weapons may be
resold to a third party. Russia, which on two occasions
has previously been authorized to sell weapons to the
Central African Republic, says it wants to see further
relief in the arms embargo, and that this will possibly
be discussed in early 2020.
August
The rebel leader leaves the government
August 27th
Mahamat Alkatim, leader of the Central African
Patriotic Movement (MPC), and one of the country's most
influential warlords, leaves his post as military
adviser to the government. He justifies the decision
that his opportunities to carry out his mission, to form
new security forces where the government army and former
rebels will cooperate, are small. The work was crippled
earlier in August when the government demanded that the
former rebels be disarmed before being allowed to join
the new forces, while the rebel leaders demand that they
be given accommodation before they give up their
weapons, something that is lacking.
April
Fighting breaks out between UN force and FDPC
militia
April 9
Struggles break out between soldiers of the UN force
Minusca and the FDPC militia. According to the UN, at
least five rebels have been killed, but according to the
FDPC, only three have been lost. Minsuca is said to have
launched an offensive against the militia group after
setting up roadblocks at Zoukombo, along the only road
link between Bangui and Cameroon, and for stealing a
number of pickup trucks. The FDPC is one of the 14
militia groups that in February entered into a peace
agreement with the government.
March
Three militia leaders become military advisers
March 25th
Three militia leaders are appointed special military
advisers to the government. The three are Ali Darassa,
from the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC),
Mahamat Alkatim, the Central African Patriotic Movement
(MPC), and Bi Sidi Souleymane, from Group 3R. They will
help the national army to maintain security in the
country. Another MPC leader Adama Chaibou is assigned to
manage contacts with the Arab world.
The FDPC jumps off the peace agreement
March 23rd
Abdoulaye Miskine, of the Central African People's
Democratic Front (FDPC) , who was offered a post as
Minister of Modernization , refuses it, saying that
there will be no participation in government work as
long as there is no change in the top ministerial posts.
At the same time, the FDPC withdraws its support for the
peace agreement.
New settlement completed according to AU
March 20
The Central African government and 14 militia groups
agree on a new agreement to create a more "inclusive
government", the African Union (AU) announces . Later it
is announced that four people from the militia groups
will be given new ministerial posts, including
responsibility for modernizing the country.
Militias require a new government
March 19
Eleven of the 14 militia groups that signed the peace
agreement in February now demand that the prime minister
be replaced. They say they lack confidence in the
current head of government Firmin Ngrébada, and believe
that a national unity government should be formed. They
also want to negotiate directly with President
Faustin-Archange Touadéra. At the same time, they state
that the peace agreement is still valid and that the new
government is the problem. Those who have not signed
during the uprising belong to the FPRC, which is one of
the three groups formed after Séléka disbanded, and two
anti-balaka groups.
Disengagement threatens the peace agreement
4th of March
One month after the last peace agreement was signed,
it risks collapsing. Discontent rises to the surface
after Prime Minister Firmin Ngrébada presented the new
government. The Central African People's Democratic
Front (FDPC) and the People's Front for the country's
rebirth have decided to leave the government. However,
it is unclear if this also applies to the entire peace
process. The Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC),
which is one of the largest militia groups, requires the
government to change its stance if it is to remain and
the Central African Patriotic Movement (MPC) says the
militia is no longer behind the peace agreement. At the
same time, Ngrébada emphasizes that the government
already has 36 members and that there is no room for all
14 militia groups to be able to get five ministerial
posts.
New government ready
March 3rd
Firmin Ngrébada presents its new government, where
representatives of several militia groups will now
participate. However, no major changes are made to the
heavy items. Maxime Mokom of the anti-Balaka militias
takes charge of disarming the rebels, Souleymane Daouda
of the Union for Peace in Central Africa (UPC) takes
care of livestock issues, while Hamza Guismala of the
People's Front for the country's rebirth is responsible
for the development of energy and hydropower. Adama
Chaibou of the Central African Patriotic Movement (MPC)
becomes Minister of Modernization and Bertin Béa of
former President François Bozizé's party Kwa Na Kwa gets
public service. Six of the 14 militia groups that signed
the peace treaty receive no ministerial posts at all,
including the Movement for Central Africa's Freedom
Fighters for Justice (MLCJ), from the north of the
country. The rebel groups had also demanded that the
head of government be taken from their ranks.
February
Firmin Ngrébada is appointed new head of government
February 22
Simplice Sarandji resigns as prime minister. He will
be replaced later this month by Firmin Ngrébada, who has
close ties to President Touadéra. He also led the
Central African delegation at the Khartoum peace talks
in Sudan, which led to the latest peace agreement. He
was also Prime Minister under the rule of President
François Bozizé.
New peace agreement signed in Bangui
February 7
Central African government and 14 armed groups agree
on peace agreement after mediation by African Union(AU)
after an 18-month negotiation period. It is the eighth
attempt to broker peace in the conflict that has now
been going on for over six years. Under the agreement, a
national unity government is to be formed to bring
together all the country's political and social
movements and a new prime minister to be drawn from the
rebel side (a name already circulating: Moustapha Sabone
from one of Séléka's factions). The rebels have wanted
the agreement to open for a general amnesty, but the
government has said no. Instead, a body of "transitional
justice" must be created within 90 days, where those who
have committed serious crimes must be brought to
justice, while those who have committed minor crimes
should be granted amnesty. Under the supervision of
Minusca, army brigades will also be formed, which
include both government soldiers and rebels, who are
given the task of disarming rebels and helping them to
reintegrate into society. All parties agree to respect
the constitution and the laws of the country and not to
try to take power or retain it by means of violence. An
executive committee will also be set up where the
government, the militia and the AU are represented and
will meet at least once a month.
January
Ready for peace talks in Khartoum on January 24
January 9
AU announces that peace talks between the Central
African government and various militia groups in
Khartoum, Sudan, will start on January 24. They are part
of an African initiative to create peace in the Central
African Republic. Seven peace agreements have been
signed since 2012, but none of them have lasted for some
time. The process began in July 2018 and since then the
AU has compiled the demands that the armed groups make
to agree on a new peace agreement. A particularly
difficult issue to solve is the militia's demand for an
amnesty for the abuses committed during the conflict, as
this is rejected by the government.
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