Catherine Samba-Panza

Catherine Samba-Panza
Samba-Panza in 2014
Transitional President of the Central African Republic
In office 23 January 2014 – 30 March 2016
Prime Minister	André Nzapayeké Mahamat Kamoun
Preceded by	Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet (Acting)
Succeeded by	Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Mayor of Bangui
In office 14 June 2013 – 23 January 2014
Preceded by	Nazaire Yalanga Nganaféï[1]
Succeeded by	Hyacinthe Wodobodé
Personal details
Born	(1954-06-26) 26 June 1954 (age 70) Fort Lamy, French Equatorial Africa (present-day N'Djamena, Chad)
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Cyriaque Samba-Panza
Children	3
Alma mater	Panthéon-Assas University
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Catherine Samba-Panza (née Souga; born 26 June 1954) is a Central African politician who served as Transitional President of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She was the first woman to serve as head of state in the Central African Republic. Prior to her tenure as acting president, she was the Mayor of Bangui from 2013 to 2014.

Samba-Panza began her career operating an insurance brokerage and working as a women's rights advocate. She was chosen in 2003 to serve as the vice president of a national reconciliation conference, and she was then chosen as president of the subsequent committee to implement the conference's recommendations. She was appointed mayor of Bangui in 2013 after the city was devastated by the Central African Republic Civil War. She was then appointed to serve as transitional president of the Central African Republic in 2014. She was tasked with restoring stability to the nation by disarming militant groups, and she emphasized the nation's economic recovery through employment and foreign aid. Her term ended in 2016. She was a presidential candidate in the 2020–21 election, but she was unsuccessful.