Central African Republic

On 13 August, 1960 the Central African Republic attained its independence from France—only two days after neighbouring Chad. A lot of people I talk to don’t even know that the Central African Republic is a country—it is, and its name tells you where it is. How could you forget a country whose acronym is CAR? The country is mostly Sudano-Guinean savannah. I don’t think I’ve ever been in an area designated at savannah. Another thing for the list. Oh, and the first democratic elections were held in 1993—and a few years ago the country was thought to be a leader in sustainable development, though its one of the poorest countries in the world.

The Central African Republic was one of those areas of Africa that came under European control during the Scramble for Africa. A few countries wanted to territory, but it ended up in Frances hands after some swift moves and negotiations. The colonial rule began around 1900. With colonial rule came the brutal exploitation of native populations by the private companies hoping to turn a buck in the region.

Prior to full independence, the country—then still called the colony of Ubangi-Shari—became an autonomous territory in 1958, and it was then that it took the name of the Central African Republic. Early on it established a one party state, which was followed by the first overthrow in 1965 by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who declared himself president for life in 1972 and then named himself emperor in 1976—following this up a year later with an opulent crowning ceremony. President-for-life-ness/emperorhood were cut short by a 1981 coup, and the country was ruled by a military junta again, with the movement toward democracy arriving in the late 1980s. This movement gained ground after the fall of the Berlin Wall—yes, that had reverberations even in central Africa.

Recently there’s been violence in the country, and while there have been battles between government troops and rebel forces, civilians have been caught in the middle—some refugees have fled to Chad.

Today’s poem is by Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala, and comes from the anthology Négritude: Black Poetry from Africa and the Caribbean.


Prayer and repentance of a little Christian

lord
why did you make this morning
so grey so sad
is it because I sinned
last night
are you that angry
lord

even the strutting rooster
hasn’t sung this morning
even the little sparrows
haven’t left their nest under the eaves

lord lord
I have sinned and I confess it
but it isn’t really all my fault
when I let my eyes look deep deep down in hers
(O lord those eyes
they could have made me do all kinds of things
they could have made me eat meat on good Friday
they could have made me put my cross away
they could have made me talk back to the holy-father-pope himself)
I kissed her and the catechism lesson slipped my mind

lord lord
I have sinned and I confess it
I confess
I found her long black flowing hair
prettier than the holy-virgin-mary’s
(O lord I’m so ashamed)
make me suffer the punishment of sinners
no don’t take pity on me
I admit my hopeless my unpardonable and my mortal
sin

but lord
take pity on my uncle who wants a healthy crop of palm wine for a dowry

take pity on mamma who needs a healthy crop of maize and manioc

take pity on that poor black skinny ant who’s carrying his heavy cross of straw

lord
I admit my hopeless my unpardonable and my mortal
sin

but to them dear lord who aren’t to blame
give them back that shining sun that’s all their joy
give them back that sky of blue that makes them throb with love
and give mamma that sun she wants so badly for her crop of manioc

but don’t let me go on living
because I skipped my Sunday catechism class.


—Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala
from Négritude: Black Poetry from Africa and the Caribbean
translated from the French by Norman R. Shapiro