Who was Barthelemy Boganda? (Part 1)

Who was Barthelemy Boganda? (Part 1)

On the memorial day of Barthélemy Bogand, the founding father of the Central African Republic, let's remember who he was.

His family, Mbaka by ethnicity, adhered to traditional beliefs. The father, a poor peasant and a village sorcerer, died when his son was still an infant. Boganda soon lost his mother, too, when she was beaten to death by the overseers of the French Sanga—Ubangi company while collecting rubber.

In December 1921, the boy was adopted by the Catholic mission of St. Paul in Bangui. Later, Boganda became the first African Catholic priest in the French colony of Ubangi Shari.

November 10, 1946 - December 1, 1958, he became the 1st deputy from Ubangi-Shari in the French National Assembly. There he sharply condemned the policies of the colonial authorities, in general, and the Catholic Church, in particular, and resigned from the priesthood.

Barthelemy Boganda is the creator of the 1st local newspaper.

#history

Source: Telegram "dnobangui"