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Historic country in Africa

Sultanate of Dar al Kuti
دار الكوتي
1830–1911
Flag of Dar al Kuti
Flag
Approximate location of Dar al-Kuti with modern borders.
Approximate location of Dar al-Kuti with modern borders.
StatusVassal state of Dar Runga
(1830–1890)
Vassal state of Rabih az-Zubayr
(1890–1897)
Capital
Common languagesArabic, various Nilo-Saharan languages
Religion
Islam (official), Traditional African religion
GovernmentMonarchy
Sheikh, emir 
 1830–1870
Djougoultoum
 1870–1890
Kobur
 1890-1911
Muhammad al-Sanussi
Historical eraLate Modern Period
 Established
1830
 Rabih az-Zubayr deposes Kobur in favour of al-Sanussi
1890
 Disestablished
1911
 Final surrender of Kamun, Senussi's son
1912
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Dar Runga
French Equatorial Africa
Today part ofCentral African Republic
Chad
A settlement in Dar al Kuti.

Dar al Kuti ('Dar al-Kuri' in some sources) was an Islamic state in the center and northwest of the present Central African Republic which existed from around 1830 until 17 December 1912.[1] From around 1800 the name Dar al-Kuti was given to a stretch of the frontier to the southwest of Wadai, a sultanate in the region of Lake Chad. The term "dar" signifies "abode" in Arabic, while the term "kuti" in the local language denotes a forest or densely-wooded area.[2]

History

[edit]

Origins and the rule of Djougoultoum (c.1830-1870)

[edit]
The approximate borders of the Sultanate in 1896, in orange, inside of modern Central African Republic.

Both Wadai and its western neighbour the Sultanate of Baguirmi (1522-1897) sent slaving expeditions into the lands of the Sara, a Nilotic people to the south of Chad. By the early nineteenth century these expeditions had reached into the present day Central African Republic. At this time, the ruler of Baguirmi was the Mbang Bourgomanda, who had two sons, Abd el-Kader and Djougoultoum. When Abd el-Kader became sultan in 1826, he sought to distance his brother from power, and Djougoultoum fled to Wadai.[3]:65

The Kalak (sultan) of Wadai sent Djougoultoum to the Dar Runga, governed by a sultan who was his tributary. Dar Runga was a military frontier between the Azoum and Aouk rivers. Djougoultoum married Fatme, daughter of Boker, the sultan of Dar Runga, and in 1830 settled in a still more southerly frontier region, Bilad al-Kuti, a zone for slave raiding south of the river Aouk. Bilad al-Kuti, or Dar al-Kuti, became a tributary region of Dar Runga, which in turn remained a tributary of Wadai.[3]:65[4]

Chá, on the river Diangara, a tributary of the Aouk, became the capital of this new province and Djougoultoum was appointed by Wadai as governor of Dar al-Kuti, which enjoyed a high degree of independence. The dates for his reign (1830-1870) are probably not exact, but he was the first governor of Dar al-Kuti. Its territory comprised fourteen villages (probably only its most significant settlements) and could be traversed in two days from east to west, indicating that it was small.[5]

The rule of Kobur (c.1870-1890)

[edit]

In the late 1860s or early 1870s, a respected trader and faqih named Kobur was made governor of Dar al-Kuti (according to some sources he was the son of Djougoultoum).[6] His wealth and power probably derived from the ivory trade. While he was governor, groups of Wadai horsemen would appear in Dar al-Kuti from time to time to gather tribute and collect slaves from the regions of the Nduka and Banda peoples, which bordered on Kobur's domain. Kobur was careful to maintain good relations both with the larger Muslim realms to the north, as well as with his non-Muslim neighbours, the Nduka. Dar al-Kuti took part in the slave trade to a limited extent, but large-scale raids did not take place in the time of Kobur.[5]

The greatest threat to Dar al-Kuti was posed by Rabih az-Zubayr, a Sudanese commander and slave trader who was active in the central and northeastern regions of the modern Central African Republic, capturing many of the Banda people. In 1874 Rabih's lieutenants seized Kobur's capital, Chá, and the following year he was attacked on his other flank by the Banda. In 1880 Rabih agreed to stop his attacks on Dar al-Kuti in return for free passage across its lands to attack the Banda.[3]:112

Muhammad al-Sanusi rallying his troops by the fortified tata at N'Délé.

In 1890, seeking a more compliant protégé, Rabih deposed Kobur and installed Kobur's nephew Muhammad al-Sanussi as sheikh of both Dar al-Kuti and Dar Runga,[3]:112 Al-Sanussi, born around 1850 in Wadai, was a member of the Sanusiyya order. His daughter Khadija was married to Rabih's son Fadlallah.[6] In the years that followed, Rabih continued to consolidate and expand Sanussi's authority. Any potential threats to his rule from Kobur were neutralised and Dar al-Kuti's sphere of influence expanded to include much of the modern Central African Republic.[5] Dar al-Kuti had been a tributary of Wadai before 1890, and its former overlords did not accept Rabih's seizure of control without resistance. In October 1894 the aguid of Wadai, Cherfeddine, attacked and destroyed Chá, the capital, forcing Sanussi to maintain an itinerant court for two years until he eventually founded a new fortified settlement, or tata, at N'Délé.

In the 1890s Dar al-Kuti began to come under pressure from France. Various explorers ventured into this part of Africa, seeking routes to link the basins of the Ubangi and Shari Rivers. A number of them, including Léon de Poumayrac and fr:Alfred Fourneau, reached areas close to Dar al-Kuti, and in 1891 Paul Crampel was killed together with his companions by Sanussi.[7]

On 28 August 1897, Sanussi agreed to the establishment of a French protectorate over Dar al-Kuti through a treaty of trade and alliance signed by Mohammed el-Sanussi and Émile Gentil. The treaty was revised twice, on 18 February 1903 and 26 January 1908, but Dar al-Kuti retained its independence until the death of Sanussi on 12 January 1911. He left behind at least two sons, Kamun, who took the throne, and Kangaya, as well as the daughter, Hadia, who had married Fadlallah.

French annexation

[edit]

The French decided the time had come to take most of Dar al-Kuti under direct control. Kamun fled east to Ouanda Djallé, and continued resisting French forces until 17 December 1912, when Ouanda Djallé fell to Captain Souclier and Kamun went into exile in Sudan.[5] After absorption into the French colonial territory of Ubangi-Shari, Dar al-Kuti became an administrative division (circonscription) and, between 1937 and 1946, a département. Since 1946 the region has been known as the Autonomous District of N'Délé (1946-1961), the Autonomous Prefecture of N'Délé (1961-1964), and, after 1964, as the Prefecture of Bamingui-Bangoran.[5]

Republic of Logone

[edit]
Republic of Logone
  • République de Logone (French)
2015–2021
Flag of Logone
Territories claimed by Logone
Territories claimed by Logone
StatusUnrecognized proto-state[8]
CapitalKaga-Bandoro[9][10]
Largest cityBria
Common languagesFrench · Arabic · Sango
GovernmentRepublic
Leader 
 2015–2021
Noureddine Adam[11]
Spokesman 
 2015–2021
Maouloud Moussa[12]
History 
 Independence declaration from the Central African Republic
14 December 2015
 Kaga-Bandoro was recaptured by government forces
10 April 2021
Area
 Total
217,101 km2 (83,823 sq mi)
Population
 2003 census
297,861
CurrencyCentral African CFA franc
Time zoneUTC+1 (WAT)
  Territories under control of FPRC in 2017, before government forces made major advances

The Republic of Logone (French: République de Logone),[13] also known as Dar El-Kuti (French: Dar el-Kouti),[14] is a partially realized, self-declared autonomous region and proto-state internationally recognised as part of the Central African Republic. It was formed by the Muslim rebel movement Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC) with support of other armed groups on 14 December 2015.[15][16] The states of Republic of Logone are Bamingui-Bangoran, Vakaga and Haute-Kotto.

In March 2013, during the Central African Republic Civil War which began a year earlier, the Muslim Séléka rebels forced the Christian president of the Central African Republic François Bozizé from his office, resulting in violence from the Christian anti-balaka militias. The UN sent in MINUSCA troops and scheduled a constitutional referendum for 13 December 2015 and national elections on 27 December in order to stabilize the country.[17] However, Noureddine Adam, the leader of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC), one of the four Muslim Séléka militias, abstained from the scheduled elections. In his view, Muslims and Christians could no longer live together in one country.[10][18]

On 14 December 2015, Adam's spokesman, Maouloud Moussa, declared the autonomous Republic of Logone in the northeast of the country. He explained that they wanted first to achieve autonomy within the Central African Republic and eventually absolute independence.[19] Louisa Lombard, a professor of anthropology at the Yale University, explained that it is possible that declaration of a new republic was a negotiating tactic for upcoming elections or a method for increasing influence, and that the rebels did not really believe that it is feasible to create a new state.[20] Besides FPRC the independence of Republic of Logone has been supported by MPC, RPRC and MLCJ armed groups.[14]

On 10 April 2021, Kaga-Bandoro was recaptured by government forces.[21]

Flag

[edit]

The flag of the Republic of Logone consists of three horizontal stripes of yellow (for the gold of the North), black (that the north was abandoned by the government in Bangui) and green (for the fertility of the land).[citation needed] In the centre of the black strip is a black star that stands for the struggle of the people in the north for their self-determination.[22][23]

References

[edit]
  1. Cahoon, Ben. "Traditional States in the Central African Republic". World Statesmen.org. World Statesmen.org. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  2. Cordell D., Dar El Kuti and the last years of trans-saharan slave trade, The University of Wisconsin Press, pp. 7-8
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pierre Kalck (2005). Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-4913-6.
  4. Fandos-Rius, Juan. "Traditional Rulers in the Central African Republic". Archive.today. Archive.today. Retrieved 14 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5
  6. 1 2 Garbou, Henri (1912). "La région du Tchad et du Oudaï; études ethnographiques, dialecte Toubou". Bulletin de Correspondence Africaine. XLVII1.
  7. "Dar-el-Kouti, cet ancien sultanat aux racines des revendications du nord de la Centrafrique". Le Vif. Le Vif Magazine. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  8. "Inside Ndele, FPRC's 'peaceful' parallel state". Al Jazeera. 6 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  9. "Central African Republic: January 2016 Monthly Forecast: Security Council Report". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Muslim rebels declare autonomous state in Central African Republic". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  11. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/rebel-declares-new-state-in-central-african-republic/491864
  12. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/rebel-declares-new-state-in-central-african-republic/491864
  13. Fouchard, Anthony; André, James (13 July 2016). "Centrafrique: à la rencontre des ex-rebelles putschistes". France 24 (in French).
  14. 1 2 Splintered warfare: Alliances, affiliations, and agendas of armed factions and politicomilitary groups in the Central African Republic, August 2017
  15. Dembassa-Kette, Crispin. "Rebel declares autonomous state in Central African Republic". af.reuters.com. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017.
  16. Pike, John. "Seleka". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  17. "Voting extended for Central African referendum after violence". Reuters. 14 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  18. "Rebels in Central African Republic Seek Muslim-Christian States". 16 December 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  19. "Rebel declares new state in Central African Republic". Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  20. "Central African Republic: CAR Rebel Leader Declares Autonomous State". 16 December 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2017 via AllAfrica.
  21. "Centrafrique: l'armée et ses alliés reprennent la ville stratégique de Kaga-Bandoro". fr.news.yahoo.com (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  22. Ori, Konye (18 December 2015). "The Republic of Logone: Self-determination and CAR's territorial integrity - Soapbox". The Africa Report. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  23. . (in French). 16 December 2015.