Antoine Darlan

Antoine Théophile Darlan (1915 – 10 April 1974) was a Central African politician and trade unionist, known for being the local chief of the Rassemblement démocratique africain (RDA) party in Ubangi-Shari prior to independence.

The political climate in the French colonial empire in the late 1930s was peculiar in that the colonized people had no civic rights.

[8] By the end of 1947, Antoine Darlan was elected to the vice presidency of the Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa.

Antoine Darlan began to disagree with the Socialists on colonial policy to follow, he joined in 1948 the Rassemblement démocratique africain (RDA),[13] an inter-African movement equated to the Communists.

[11] His African colleagues led by his brother George Darlan,[16] joined in 1949 the latter to reject his demands for propaganda purposes.

[1] Ironically, despite their opposing stances, his parliamentary actions were relatively similar with that of the Christian Democrat MP and anti-Communist Barthélemy Boganda.

[21] He adopted in his articles published in the local organ of the GDR, AEF Nova, the strong positions similar to those of Boganda:[22] on.

At the local elections of 30 March 1952, he became territorial adviser of the Ouaka region for the Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa (MESAN).

[25] Not reappointed High Councillor of French Equatorial Africa,[7] Darlan was finally removed from the local political scene.

In 1955, despite his political beliefs, he accepted the co-vice-presidency of the Liberal Intergroup Ubangian (ILO) with Boganda and representatives of business, Rene Naud and Roger Guérillot.

[29] In March 1957, he was re-elected territorial councilor of the Ouaka region, and in May he got back his great council seat of French Equatorial Africa under the MESAN ticket.

[33] On this issue, he fell into the camp of the Federalists with Leopold Senghor and Boganda, opposed to separatist ideas championed by the leader of the GDR, Felix Houphouët-Boigny.

Darlan agreed with the democratic changes in Central Africa Movement (MEDAC) of Abel Goumba to counter the new strongman of MESAN, David Dacko.

Assigned to the Treasury and Finance Department of Foreign Affairs and finally the Plan, Darlan had a stable job where his qualities were appreciated.

Since 1980, in a decision by the President of the Central African Republic David Dacko, an avenue was named in his honor to pay tribute to his political career.