Théophile Sonny Colé

Théophile Sonny Colé
Member of National Assembly
In office
2005–?
ConstituencyBangui
Personal details
Born (1945-06-01) 1 June 1945
Bianga, Kouango, Ubangi-Shari (now the present-day Central African Republic)
RelationsSonny M'Pokomandji (brother)
Parents
  • Ambroise Sonny (father)
  • Elisabeth Sapki (mother)
OccupationFootballer player
Politician
Activist
Association football career
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
? Olympic Real de Bangui
International career
1972 Central African Republic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Théophile Sonny Colé (born 1 June 1945) is a Central African politician, trade union activist, and footballer.

Life

Colé was born on 1 June 1945 in Bianga to Ambroise Sonny and Elisabeth Sapki.[1] He is the first child of seven children and the older brother of a Central African basketball player, Sonny M'Pokomandji.[2]

Football career

Colé played as a defender at the Olympic Real de Bangui.[3] He was one of the 27 players who were called to the Central African Republic national team in 1972 and took part in the match against Cameroon where Central African Republic won 4-3. On 3 November 2022, he and 10 other 1972 Central African Republic squad players who were still alive received a gift of 500,000 CFA from Central African Football Federation and 300,000 CFA from BGFIBank Group each for their achievements in defeating Cameroon.[4]

After retirement, he serves as the Vice President of Olympic Real de Bangui.[5]

Activism and politics career

Colé joined USTC and became its secretary general in 1980.[1] He organized and led strikes during Dacko administration, resulting in the dissolution of USTC.[3] In the 1990s, he led a civil servant strike to protest the unpaid salaries for months.[1] During the 1992 election, he endorsed the candidate from Confederation of Democratic Forces (CFD).[6] Furthermore, he was nominated as the coordinator of an opposition group, the Union of Forces Committed to Peace and Change (UFAPC). On 15 May 1998, he was designated as the Operations Director of a freight company, Mondial Air Fret.[7]

Presidential Guard arrested Colé upon his arrival in Bangui M'Poko International Airport after attending a conference on 9 January 1999 for writing a tract that Patassé deemed "seditious". He was tortured, causing him to lose two teeth and be injured in the head. On the following day, he was released.[8] He became Patasse's commando assassination target on November 2000.[9] On 17 June 2001, he was arrested at the Bangui Airport after participating in a meeting in Nairobi. On the following day, the government released him.[10] After the 2001 Central African Republic coup attempt, he was called for trial in the court over accusations of involvement in the plots.[11]

Colé was called to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the testimony to investigate the deep rift between David Dacko and Abel Goumba.[12] He ran as an independent MP candidate representing Bangui Second district in the 2005 Central African general election and won a seat in the National Assembly with a vote of 53,30%.[13] During his first term, he founded the Bangui's 2nd arrondissement High Management Council on 16 March 2007 with the aim to monitor projects and solve issues in his constituency.[14]

In the 2011 Central African general election, Colé was reelected as a member of the National Assembly, obtaining a vote of 54%.[1] On 13 April 2013, he was appointed as a member of the National Transitional Council as a syndicate's representative.[15]

Colé became a presidential candidate for the 2015-2016 election on 12 December 2015.[16] He received 3,784 votes (0.33%), thus did not eligible for the second round.[17] After receiving the result of the first round of the presidential election, he appealed for the audits to the Transitional Constitutional Court and his request was rejected.[18] Apart from that, he failed to re-elect to the National Assembly after conceding defeat to Massikini Mathurin.[19]

References

  1. ^ 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. 588.
  2. ^ Yepassis-Zembrou, Félix. "M'POKOMANDJI SONNY. L'HOMME ET SON HISTOIRE (Par Félix Yepassis-Zembrou)". sangonet.com. Sango Net. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b Bamara E-Book, Bamara E-Book. "SONNY M'Pokomandji". bamaraebook.com. Bamara E-Book. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  4. ^ Ndata, Aubin. "Centrafrique : 11 anciens joueurs de l'équipe nationale honorés par la fédération de football". lopinionplus.com. Lopinion Plus. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  5. ^ Ndjoni Sango, Ndjoni Sango. "RCA: appui de la FCF l'ORB pour la ligue africaine des clubs champions". ndjonisango.com. Ndjoni Sango. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  6. ^ United States Department of State, United States Department of State. "U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 1993 - Central African Republic". refworld.org. United States Department of State. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  7. ^ Sango Net, Sango Net. "Organisations de transports et transitaires :". sangonet.com. Sango Net. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Dubious Democracy" (PDF). Africa Confidential. Africa Confidential. 22 January 1999.
  9. ^ Afrik, Afrik. "Centrafrique : Patassé accusé de commanditer l'assassinat d'un député d'opposition". afrik.com. Afrik. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  10. ^ AFP, AFP. "Sonny Théophile COLE et 4 collaborateurs syndicalistes de retour de Nairobi arrêtés à l'aéroport Bangui-M'poko (17 juin 01)". sangonet.com. AFP. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  11. ^ Paul Melly (2002). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC- UNCERTAIN PROSPECTS (PDF) (Report). p. 11. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  12. ^ Commission 1 of Truth and Reconciliation, Commission 1 of Truth and Reconciliation. "VERITE ET RECONCILIATION". dialogue.national.free.fr. Truth and Reconciliation.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Sango Net, Sango Net. "LES ELUS AUX 2 TOURS DES ELECTIONS LEGISLATIVES CENTRAFRICAINES, MAI 2005". sangonet.com. Sango Net. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  14. ^ Dagoulou, Dagoulou. "Centrafrique/société : Le député Théophile Sonny Colé créé un Haut conseil de gestion dans sa circonscription". acap.cf. Agence Centrafrique Presse. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  15. ^ Sango Net, Sango Net. "Liste des 105 personnalités élues membres du Conseil national de transition (CNT) de la République Centrafricaine". sangonet.com. Sango Net. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  16. ^ CorbeauNews, CorbeauNews. "Présidentielle en RCA: tensions à Bangui après l'éviction de Bozizé". corbeaunews-centrafrique.org. Corbeau News Centrafrique. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  17. ^ Ndeke Luka, Ndeke Luka. "Présidentielle: Faustin Archange Touadéra et Anicet Georges Dologuélé confirmés par la Cour Constitutionnelle pour le second tour". radiondekeluka.org. Radio Ndeke Luka. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  18. ^ ACAP, ACAP. "La Cour Constitutionnelle de transition confirme Dologuélé et Touadéra au second tour de la présidentielle en RCA". acap.cf. Agence Centrafrique Presse. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  19. ^ Centrafrique Libre, Centrafrique Libre. "Législatives 1er tour : Dologuélé humilié à Bocaranga, Touadera résiste à Damara, Ziguélé au 2 è tour à Bocaranga 3". news.abangui.com. Centrafrique Libre. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
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