Sibut (), formerly Fort Sibut (french: Fort-Sibut) is the capital of Kémo, one of the 16 prefectures of the

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of the C ...

. An important

transport hub A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include railway stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry s ...

, it is situated north of the capital

Bangui Bangui () (or Bangî in Sango, formerly written Bangi in English) is the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a French outpost in 1889 and named after its location on the northern bank of the Ubangi ...

and is known for its market. Sibut is located at the Northern end of the paved road coming from the capital, Bangui. At Sibut, two major provincial roads split, one going North to Kaga Bandoro, and the other east towards Bomimi, a thriving agricultural village of 450 people, from Sibut.

History

The settlement was originally named Krébédjé after the local Dekpa chief of the same name. The French arrived in 1895 and Krébédjé, and they officially recognised him as chief the next year. The town was renamed Fort Sibut in 1900 after Medical Major Adolphe Pierre Sibut, a deceased friend of colonial official

Émile Gentil Émile Gentil (; 4 April 1866 – 30 March 1914) was a French colonial administrator, naval officer, and military leader. Born at Volmunster in the department of Moselle, he later attended the École Navale, the school that formed French nav ...

. Sibut sits on the banks of the Kémo, a minor tributary of the

Ubangi River The Ubangi River (), also spelled Oubangui, is the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River in the region of Central Africa. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m3/s) and Uele Rivers (mean annual discha ...

about long. Formerly an important route of supply and communication between Fort de Possel on the Ubangi and the French settlements around

Lake Chad Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme ...

, the river is now non-navigable even with small watercraft. In 1952, American Baptist missionary Margery Benedict established a medical clinic and dispensary at Fort Sibut. In 1982, President Andre Kolingba traveled to Sibut to award her the Order of Gratitude for 30 years of service. The present city has one high school which also serves as a landing strip, and a market. Local food in street cafes include gozo (cassava) and peanut spinach sauce, along with various species of bushmeat. Local drink includes palm wine and 33 beer. The Peace Corps had volunteers located in Sibut until the

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...

of 1996. On 29 December 2012 the city was captured by Seleka rebels. On 2 February 2014

Anti-balaka The Anti-balaka is an alliance of militia groups based in the Central African Republic in the early 21st century said to be composed primarily of Christians. However, some church leaders have contested the claimed exclusively Christian character ...

took control of the city following Seleka withdrawal. In May 2018

Central African Armed Forces The Central African Armed Forces (french: Forces armées centrafricaines; FACA) are the armed forces of the Central African Republic and have been barely functional since the outbreak of the civil war in 2012. Today they are among the world's we ...

were redeployed in the city with help of Russian instructors.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical wet and dry (Aw).

References

Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic Populated places in the Central African Republic Populated places in Kémo {{CentralAfricanRepublic-geo-stub

History

Climate

See also

References