Michel Djotodia

Michel Djotodia
Head of State of the Central African Republic Transitional
In office 24 March 2013 – 10 January 2014 7th President: 24 March 2013 – 18 August 2013
Prime Minister	Nicolas Tiangaye
Preceded by	François Bozizé
Succeeded by	Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet (Acting)
Personal details
Born	Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia 1949 (age 67–68) Vakaga, French Equatorial Africa (now Central African Republic)
Political party	Union of Democratic Forces for Unity
Other political affiliations	Séléka
Religion	Islam

Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia (born c. 1949) is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014. He was the first Muslim to hold that office in the predominantly Christian country. Djotodia was a leader of the almost entirely MuslimSéléka rebel coalition in the December 2012 rebellion against President François Bozizé. Following a peace agreement, Djotodia was appointed to the government as First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense in February 2013. When the peace agreement unravelled, Séléka captured Bangui and Djotodia took power on 24 March 2013. He promised to lead a transition to new elections in which he would not be a candidate, but his time in office was marked by escalating sectarian violence, and he was ultimately pressured into resigning by regional leaders on 10 January 2014.

Djotodia was born in Vakaga, French Equatorial Africa (modern day Central African Republic), reportedly in 1949. He is Muslim, and as such part of a religious minority in the mostly Christian Central African Republic. He lived in the Soviet Union for about 10 years. While there he studied, became fluent in Russian, got married and had children. When he returned to Vakaga he was regarded as an intellectual, well-educated man who spoke various languages. Although he was noted for being politically ambitious he was an obscure figure, little known outside his native region, and worked in the civil service. He was a tax official during the 1980s.

Having studied economic planning in the Soviet Union, Djotodia worked at the Central African Republic's Ministry of Planning and subsequently at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served for a time as Consul in the Sudanese city of Nyala.

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