1981 Central African Republic coup d'état

On 1 September 1981, General André Kolingba deposed President David Dacko of the Central African Republic in a bloodless coup while Dacko was away from the country traveling to an official state visit in Libya. The day after the coup a "Military Committee for National Recovery" (Comite Militaire pour le Redressement National, CMRN) was established and was led by Kolingba. The CMRN then suspended the constitution and limited political party activity.

Kolingba's military regime promised to hold election and get rid of corruption but over the next four years corruption increased and the CMRN repeatedly pushed back planned election until 1987. In 1982 the regime survived a coup attempt.