Bossangoa

Bossangoa is the capital of Ouham, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. The town has a population of 36,478 (2003 census). It is located 303 km (189 mi) north of the country's capital, Bangui. The Ouham River passes through Bossangoa and on through a number of waterfalls east of the city before turning north to join the Chari River in Chad.

Bossangoa
Nutritional Therapeutic Unit in Bossangoa
Bossangoa
Location in Central African Republic
Coordinates: 6°29′N 17°27′E
Country Central African Republic
PrefectureOuham
DistrictBossangoa
Elevation
465 m (1,526 ft)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total38,451

The Mandjia, the third most populous ethnic group in the Central African Republic, are concentrated in Bossangoa. Along with the Baya, a closely related group, the Mandjia are important historically for their resistance to invasion by various Muslim powers to the north. From 1901 to 1905 Bossangoa and the surrounding area was in rebellion against French colonial authorities. Bossangoa became a center of Protestant missionary activity during the 1920s. In 1959, the city was made the seat of the Apostolic Prefecture of Bossangoa from the Diocese of Berbérati. In 1964, it was promoted as the Diocese of Bossangoa. In June 1980 the city was the scene of clashes between police and farmers over government food policies. The next year French troops were called in to suppress rioting in the aftermath of elections.

There is a small local airport that serves light planes. The main agricultural products are cotton and coffee.

Climate

Bossangoa has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw).

Climate data for Bossangoa
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 35.7
(96.3)		 37.5
(99.5)		 38.3
(100.9)		 36.3
(97.3)		 34.4
(93.9)		 32.4
(90.3)		 31.2
(88.2)		 30.9
(87.6)		 31.5
(88.7)		 32.7
(90.9)		 34.3
(93.7)		 34.9
(94.8)		 34.2
(93.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 25.1
(77.2)		 27.9
(82.2)		 29.8
(85.6)		 29.4
(84.9)		 28.5
(83.3)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.1
(79.0)		 25.9
(78.6)		 26.2
(79.2)		 26.6
(79.9)		 26.7
(80.1)		 25.0
(77.0)		 27.0
(80.6)
Average low °C (°F) 14.3
(57.7)		 18.4
(65.1)		 21.3
(70.3)		 22.5
(72.5)		 22.0
(71.6)		 21.4
(70.5)		 20.9
(69.6)		 20.9
(69.6)		 20.7
(69.3)		 20.6
(69.1)		 19.0
(66.2)		 15.0
(59.0)		 19.8
(67.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 1
(0.0)		 6
(0.2)		 47
(1.9)		 92
(3.6)		 141
(5.6)		 166
(6.5)		 234
(9.2)		 279
(11.0)		 240
(9.4)		 159
(6.3)		 22
(0.9)		 1
(0.0)		 1,388
(54.6)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 265 242 211 211 227 188 165 155 172 198 248 266 2,548
Source 1: Normales et records pour la période 2000-2016 à Bossangoa ,[1]
Source 2: Climate Bossangoa - Central African Republic for rainfall totals ,[2] Étude méthodologique pour l'utilisation des données climatologiques de l'Afrique tropicale for sunshine hours[3]

2012-2014 Conflict

In March 2013, rebels of the Séléka Alliance overtook the town, as part of the 2012-13 Central African Republic conflict. The rebels are seeking to overthrow the government of President of the Central African Republic François Bozizé[4]

In January 2014, Bossangoa was described as a ghost town, "strangely empty" with "no people, only charred houses and storefronts, block after block of blackened roofless dwellings, an abandoned bank, a gas station stripped down to the metal frames of its pumps, and an emptied city hall." The population, which once numbered 50,000, has mostly fled the city to escape communal violence between Muslims and Christians in the aftermath of the civil war. The population was living in two separate camps – one for Muslims and one for Christians.[5]

In April 2014, Chadian troops escorting a convoy of "the last 540 Muslim residents of the northwestern town of Bossangoa to Goré, Chad," were attacked by local militia as they passed through Boguila." Three people were wounded.[6]

See also

References

  1. "Normales et records pour la période 2000-2016 à Bossangoa". Infoclimat. Retrieved 2014-01-13.
  2. "Climate Bossangoa - Central African Republic for rainfall totals". Infoclimat. Retrieved 2014-01-13.
  3. "Étude méthodologique pour l'utilisation des données climatologiques de l'Afrique tropicale for sunshine hours""Étude méthodologique pour l'utilisation des données climatologiques de l'Afrique tropicale for sunshine hours" (PDF). Infoclimat. Retrieved 2014-01-13.
  4. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/03/201332221250378543.html
  5. Nossiter, Adam (19 January 2014). "Central African Town Is Left Charred, Empty and Hopeless Amid Violence". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  6. "BOGUILA: Thousands flee gun battle as Chad withdraws from CAR". Voxafrica. 2014-04-16. Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-04-29.

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