| Conventional Long Name: | Republic of Logone |
| Common Name: | Logone |
| Flag Caption: | Flag |
| Capital: | Kaga-Bandoro[1] |
| Largest City: | Bria |
| Common Languages: | FrenchArabicSango |
| Government Type: | Republic |
| Status: | Unrecognized proto-state |
| Event Start: | Independence declaration from the Central African Republic |
| Date Start: | 14 December 2015 |
| Area Km2: | 217,101 |
| Population Census: | 297,861 |
| Population Census Year: | 2003 |
| Time Zone: | WAT |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
The Republic of Logone (French: République de Logone),[2] also known as Dar al-Kuti (French: Dar el-Kouti|links=no), 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.[3] [4]
See main article: Islam in the Central African Republic. Islam is a minority religion in the Central African Republic, practiced by approximately 15% of the population in 2012, with 85% of the population of practicing Christianity.
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.[5] 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.[6] [7]
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.[8] Later, it was announced that the name of the new republic would be "Dar al-Kuti" after the historic Dar al-Kuti sultanate.
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.[9]
Besides FPRC the independence of Republic of Logone has been supported by MPC, RPRC and MLCJ armed groups.[10]
On 10 April 2021, Kaga-Bandoro was recaptured by government forces.[11]
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). 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.[12] [13]