Republic of Logone

A Muslim rebel leader in Central African Republic has declared an autonomous state in the country's north, further defying efforts to end three years of bloody instability. Noureddine Adam, the leader of the Seleka rebel faction that overthrew President Francois Bozize in 2013, proclaimed his stronghold the Republic of Logone in a statement released 14 December 2015 from the town of Kaba-Bangoro. The declaration could derail the results of a referendum held Sunday on a proposed constitution for the small nation of nearly five million people.

"We believe the time has come to divide Central African Republic for the two communities to find peace," Cmdr. Maouloud Moussa said on behalf of Adam, adding the rebels saw no alternatives. "Christians in the northern territory can stay, because we are already family. Other Muslims elsewhere who would like to join us are welcome."

Maoulou Moussa, spokesman of the rebel leader Noureddine Adam, told the press “What we want first is autonomy. Then we will see how to move towards independence,” adding that Adam signed a copy of the declaration of autonomy on 14 December 2015. Adam is the leader of the Renaissance of Central Africa, also known as FPRC, which is one of the four factions of the Seleka militia. He had earlier rejected the ongoing electoral process in the war-torn Central African state. The rebel said that the upcoming general election will not take place in areas under the control of Seleka militia.

Central African Republic's transition authorities said that Adam was the country's "public enemy number one" because he was against the electoral process. His group had also prevented people from voting during last Sunday's referendum in many cities across the country, including Kaga-Bandoro.

Logone is a river in the South of Chad, and two prefectures (East- and West-) use its name. The South of Chad had been in quasi-permanent insurrection state against the N'Djamena successive rulers (Tombalbaye, Habre, Oueddei...).

The second Treaty, signed on 04 November 1911, provided for the cessions of territory by France and Germany. the French agreed to transfer to Germany a portion of the French Congo, lying directly east and south of the Cameroons and consisting of some 107,000 square miles of territory — about the area of the State of Nevada — with a population of 1,000,000. The value of the district is unknown and the greater part of it is still unoccupied by Europeans and undeveloped.

The only territorial cession by Germany to France consisted in throwing back the north-eastern frontier of the German Cameroons to the Logone River, and thus transferring to France a block of territory between the Shari and Logone Rivers, which is shaped roughly like a duck’s beak: the whole right bank of the Logone up to the junction with the Shari at Fort Lamy became French. Thus communication was facilitated between French West Africa and the French Congo round the enclave of British Nigeria and the Cameroons.

The Logone River flows through southern Chad, which unlike the Arab north, is populated by black Christians, mostly of the Sara people. The south was dominant at independence, but a northern rebellion succeeded in ousting the southern government in 1975. The rebel factions squabbled among themselves. The Sara, after a series of bloody riots in 1979, set up a shadow government to administer the south. Kamougue, the leader of the Sara, obtained arms from Libya's Qaddafi, who hoped to use the Sara to further his own plans in Chad.

After the collapse of a coalition government, Qaddafi made his move, invading in 1980. Faced with threats from the Western powers, Qaddafi soon retreated, leaving behind a vacuum. Kamougue seized his opportunity and declared the south the independent Republic of Logone in 1982. However, his troops, disgusted after all they had gone through in the name of Chad, deserted and Kamougue was forced to flee.