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Fidèle Gouandjika

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Fidèle Gouandjika
Fidèle Gouandjika in 2020
Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture
In office
19 January 2009 – 3 February 2013
PresidentFrançois Bozizé
Prime MinisterFaustin-Archange Touadéra
Preceded byDavid Banzokou
Succeeded byDorothée Aimée Malenzapa
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and New Technology
In office
19 June 2005 – 19 January 2009
PresidentFrançois Bozizé
Prime MinisterÉlie Doté
Preceded byIdriss Salao
Succeeded byThierry Savonaroye Maléyombo
Personal details
Born(1955-02-20)20 February 1955
Mbaiki, Ubangi-Shari (now the present-day Central African Republic)
Political partyKNK (former)
Children7
Alma materGheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași
OccupationBusinessman
Politician
Teacher
Signature

Fidèle Gouandjika (born 20 February 1955), nicknamed The billionaire of Boy-Rabe,[1] is a wealthy Central African businessman and politician.[2] He held two different ministerial positions under the Bozize government. Gouandjika was the first person who introduced Qwan Ki Do in Romania by establishing the Qwan Ki Do club in Iași in 1980.[3]

Early life and education

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Fidèle Gouandjika was born on 20 February 1955 in Mbaiki. He is the son of François Ngouandjika, a soldier who served for Senegalese Tirailleurs unit during the World War II.[4][5] In the unknown year, Gouandjika moved to Bangui and was raised in the Boy-Rabe neighborhood. He enrolled in primary education at Boy-Rabe and completed it in 1968. He then continued high school in Lycée des Martyrs in 1968 and finished it in 1974. Later he enrolled at Lycée Barthélémy Boganda and graduated in 1977.[6] When Bokassa proclaimed himself emperor, Gouandjika opposed it. His opposition to Bokassa led him to be jailed for three months.[7]

Gouandjika then moved to Romania in 1977 and continued his higher education at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași and graduated in 1983. One year later, he went back to Central African Republic.[7]

Career

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Early career

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He taught karate and Qwan Ki Do in Romania. As a karate and qwan ki do athlete, he participated in the 1981 European martial arts championship representing Romania and won the silver medal in a long stick fight. Gouandjika competed in the 1982 European martial arts championship, represented the Romania team and won a silver medal.[7]

In the Central African Republic, he began his career as a physics and computer sciences teacher at several high schools in Bangui from 1984 to 1987. He then worked as Head of the Studies and Planning Department at Office Centrafricain des Postes et Télécommunications (DGT) from 1988 to 1990. While working at DGT, he also became a professor of physics at the University of Bangui from 1989 to 1990. Subsequently, he worked at Socatel from 1990 to 2005. In the beginning, he was the Head of the IT Division position from 1990 to 1997. Later he was promoted to director of Socatel. Meanwhile, he also became the Telecommunications and New Technologies advisor at High Council for Communication from 1998 to 1999.[6][8] He announced his retirement as the Director of Socatel in 2004 to support Francois Bozize on 2005 election.[9] However, he later encouraged people to vote for André Massi and Nicolas Tiangaye on 28 December 2004.[4]

Political career

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Gouandjika ran for the 1999 Central African presidential election as an independent candidate who represented the youth and received 9,431 votes, placing him as the second lowest of all candidates.[10][11]

In 2005, Dotte appointed Gouandjika as a Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and New Technology. As a Posts and Telecommunications and New Technology minister, he liberalized Socatel by signing a contract with Telesoft International in 2007.[12] In addition, he signed a 7 billion CFA francs contract with ZTE for government digitalization and a 6 million CFA francs establishment and operation agreement with Orange.[13][14] In 2011, Karim Meckassoua conducted an audit of Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and New Technology under his two predecessors over mismanagement and accused Thierry Savonaroye Maléyombo and Gouandjika of money embezzlement. This accusation led his passport to be confiscated and him lost position as the government spokesman.[15][16] Later, he received his passport.[17]

Touadera appointed Gouandjika as a minister of agriculture and development on 19 January 2009. He held this position for four years. While serving as agriculture minister, he was appointed government spokesman on 20 April 2010.[4] As a minister, he was known for corrupting the budget allocated to peasant farmers.[18]

When Seleka toppled Bozize in 2013, Gouandjika fled to Romania and later returned to CAR on 9 September 2014.[19] In 2015, he ran for election and received 15,356 votes.[20] He later resigned from KNK and supported Touadéra.[21] Currently, he is a special minister and adviser to President Touadéra.[22]

Controversy

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Sexism

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On 15 March 2021, during a live session on his personal Facebook account, he stipulated that if Russians requested Central African women for sexual desire, we would give them. His remark stunned the public and the country's women's organizations condemned his statement that objectified women. He later apologized for his offensive remark.[23]

Call for Genocide

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During the Facebook live session on 2 November, Gouandjika issued a genocide threat that if Touadera was ousted from the position, there would be a genocide not only targeting Central Africans but also MINUSCA and embassy staff. The Civil society organizations condemned Gouandjika's threat and called for his resignation as special advisor.[24]

Personal life

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Gouandjika belongs to Mandja and is married to a Romanian woman from Bacău.[18][7] He speaks fluent Sango, French, and Romanian and can understand English and Spanish.[6] In 1994, he was elected as president of the Central African Federation of Karate and Martial Arts.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Karnou, Beaumont. "Poor in Qatar, rich in the Central African Republic: The billionaire of Boy-Rabe". kulturaustausch.de. Kultur Austauch. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  2. ^ BBC, BBC. "Will elections end the fighting in Central African Republic?". bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  3. ^ Done, Petru. "Băcăuanii Qwan Ki Do au luat caimacul campionatului de la Padova". desteptarea.ro. Deșteptarea. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Bradshaw, Richard; Rius, Juan Fandos (2016). Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic (Historical Dictionaries of Africa). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 482.
  5. ^ ACAP, ACAP. "François NGOUANDJIKA, porté disparu en France". acap.cf. Agence Centrafricane de Presse.
  6. ^ a b c Taka Parler, Taka Parler. "Qui est Vraiment Fidele GOUANDJIKA". takaparlenews.over-blog.com. Taka Parler. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Suceava News, Suceava News. "La o mică discuție cu o legendă vie, Fidèle Gouandjika, fondatorul Qwan-Ki-Do în România". svnews.ro. Suceava News. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Fidèle Gouandjika". linkedin.com. Linkedin. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  9. ^ International Federation for Human Rights (January 2005). République centrafricaine - Fin de la transition politique sur fond d'impunité: Quelle réponse apportera la Cour pénale internationale? (Report). p. 15.
  10. ^ EISA, EISA (2010-10-01). "CAR: 1999 Presidential election results". eisa.org.za. Archived from the original on 2011-03-03. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  11. ^ UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "Central African Republic: Elections, 9/2/99". africa.upenn.edu. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  12. ^ Simbi, Thierry. "RCA : Affaire Socatel Gateway business telecoms Centrafrique". corbeaunews-centrafrique. Corbeaunews Centrafrique. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  13. ^ Lamba, Sébastien. "coopération/Chine :Signature d'un contrat de 7 milliards Cfa entre la Société Chinoise ZTE corporation et le ministère en charge de nouvelles Technologies". acap.cf. Agence Centrafricane de Presse. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  14. ^ ACAP, ACAP. "Centrafrique/Société : Orange-Centrafrique pour une communication fluide en Centrafrique". acap.cf. Agence Centrafricane de Presse. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  15. ^ L’Indépendant, L’Indépendant. "Lu pour vous dans l'Indépendant : Fidèle Gouandjika menace de tuer son collègue du gouvernement Karim Meckassoua". centrafrique-presse.over-blog.com/. L’Indépendant. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  16. ^ Ndeke Luka, Ndeke Luka. "Ngouandjika, Maléyombo, Abdallah Kadre sous surveillance judiciaire". radiondekeluka.org. Radio Ndeke Luka. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  17. ^ Ndeke Luka, Ndeke Luka. "Ces événements qui ont marqué la RCA en 2011, de A à Z". radiondekeluka.org. Radio Ndeke Luka. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  18. ^ a b David L Smith (September 2014). Lining up for the Presidency in the Central African Republic (PDF) (Report). Institute for Security Studies. p. 6.
  19. ^ APA, APA. "Minusca, politique intérieure et santé à la Une de la presse centrafricaine". /archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  20. ^ Afrique News Info (2016-01-25). "CENTRAFRIQUE : FAUSTIN ARCHANGE TOUADÉRA ET ANICET GEORGES DOLOGUÉLÉ CONFIRMÉS PAR LA COUR CONSTITUTIONNELLE POUR LE SECOND DE LA PRÉSIDENTIELLE". afriquenewsinfo.net. Archived from the original on 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
  21. ^ Saber Jendoubi (March 2021). Les réseaux sociaux centrafricains à l’aube des élections : symptôme avancé d’une crise politique à venir (PDF) (Report). Institut français des relations internationales. p. 17.
  22. ^ Africanews, Africanews. "CAR government denies Wagner is leaving the country". africanews.com. Africa News. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  23. ^ Yanguere, Rayms. "Le collectif des femmes centrafricaines réclament justice contre Fidèle Ngouandjika". oubanguimedias.com. Oubangi Medias. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  24. ^ Ndeke Luka, Ndeke Luka. "Centrafrique : vives réactions après une déclaration controversée de Fidèle Gouandjika". radiondekeluka.org. Radio Ndeke Luka. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
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