Dacko, David

President of Central African Republic (1960-1966, 1979-1981)
(24.03.1930 Bouchla/CAR - 21.11.2003 Yaounde/Cameroon)
Originally educated as a teacher, Dacko started his political carrier as a member of parliament for MESAN, the Movement for Social Evolution of Black Africa. With 27 years he was minister of agriculture, one year later minister of state and economy. Dacko became president at the age of 30, after his patron president Boganda died in a plane crash, and called his cousin Jean Bedel Bokassa for help to reform the army. Bokassa just used the chance in 1966 for a coup and put Dacko under house arrest. Dacko remained there, till Bokassa was removed 1979 from power with the help of French troops. The French installed Dacko again as the president of CAR. There had been several more or less violent coup attempts, but Dacko survived all of them. In March 1981 he was elected for another term of six years, but removed from power again in autumn the same year. He continued to fight for his come back and stood two more times in elections as a presidential candidate, but did not succeed. He founded the Movement for Democracy and Development MDD. In November 2003 Dacko died in a hospital in Yaounde.