Abel Goumba

Abel Nguéndé Goumba (born 18 September 1926 in Grimari; † 11 May 2009 Bangui ) was a politician of the Central African Republic.

Political career

Goumba came from the prefecture Ouaka in the former French colony of Ubangi -Shari. After his schooling, he spent partly in Dakar, he served from 1949 to 1950 in the French army.

In the government of the territory In 1957 he was Vice President and President in 1958. In 1959, he was after the death Barthelemy Bogandas briefly prime minister in the next elections, he was defeated by David Dacko. First, he was a member of Dackos government.

Opposition politicians

After the country's independence under the name Central African Republic on August 13, 1960 his party Mouvement d' Evolution Démocratique d' Afrique Centrale ( MEDAC ) was banned and Goumba under house arrest in 1964, he was sentenced to six months in prison. In September of that year he went into exile in France. During this time he continued his education for physicians continues in Bordeaux, Rennes and Paris. He also founded new parties who fought against the former dictator Jean- Bédel Bokassa and Ange-Félix Patassé.

In the early 1980s he returned to his home, worked for the World Health Organization, taught as a Professor of Medicine at the Université de Bangui and in 1982 was temporarily Rector of the University of Bangui. He applied for a total of five times for the presidency, without exceeding 10% each of the vote. Several times he was imprisoned for his political activities, dismissed from his academic offices and set again. He was with his party Patriotic Front pour le Progres (FPP ) from time to time as one of the leading members of the opposition. In 2002, he supported François Bozizé in his attempt to overthrow President Patassé.

Vice-president

2003 Professor Goumba after the overthrow Patassé after more than 40 years as an opposition politician prime minister again and promised to fight corruption in the country. On 12 December 2003 he became Vice President under François Bozizé. In the presidential election on 13 March 2005, he reached the seventh place with 2.5 % of votes. President Bozizé dismissed him from his post, without it vacant. According Bozizé was because it will no longer be the position with the new constitution, while Goumba upset reported to have heard of his dismissal on the radio. Immediately prior to his dismissal Goumba had spoken of election irregularities.

Family

Goumba was married and had 15 children.