Kolingba retained the strong support of France until the end of the Cold War in 1992, after which both internal and external pressure forced him to hold presidential elections which he lost.

His twelve-year term in office saw the growing influence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in decisions by donor-nations regarding financial support and management of the Central African state.

Many members of Kolingba's ethnic group, the Yakoma people, obtained lucrative posts in the public, private and parastatal sectors of the CAR's economy during his era.

As a military officer, he also worked at Radio Bangui, where he became a host at the magazine of the Central African Armed Forces and a classical music program and later was promoted to co-director.

As a battalion commander, he was named technical adviser to the minister of national defense, veterans and war victims on 1 March 1977, as well as aide-de-camp of Bokassa.

He then served briefly as the CAR's ambassador to Canada — replacing Sylvestre Bangui — and the Federal Republic of Germany before being named minister in March 1979.

It has been suggested that local French military advisers helped him carry out the coup without the authorization or knowledge of Socialist President François Mitterrand and his entourage (Delayan 1985; Kalck 2004).

[page needed] Central African Republic specialists Richard Bradshaw and Carlos Fandos-Rius also state that Kolingba "seized power with French support".

[2] Although disproportionate Yakoma influence already dated back to the colonial era when they worked for Europeans and had access to French education,[1] Amnesty International has stated that "nepotism became institutionalized" under Kolingba.

In late 1991, the donor community (most notably a very vocal US ambassador and elements in the French government) finally pressured Kolingba to hold free elections.

These included the beating to death of ADP politician Jean-Claude Conjugo and the killing of a pregnant woman (Hermine Yakite) on her way to hospital to give birth after she resisted attempts to commandeer her car.

Unwilling to give in, Kolingba remained in his post but the group of local donor representatives (GIBAFOR), notably from the USA and France, forced him to hold proper elections.

Two days later, Kolingba claimed responsibility for the attempted coup through Radio France Internationale and demanded that Patassé "resign and hand over power to him".

On 7 October 2003, Kolingba attended the conference and spoke to the delegates, publicly apologizing for the excesses committed during his rule as well as his role in the 2001 coup attempt.