1982 Central African Republic coup attempt

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = 1982 Central African Republic coup d'état attempt

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| date = 3 March 1982

| place = Central African Republic

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| result = Coup attempt failed.

• André Kolingba remained in power.

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| combatant1 = 25px Central African Government
25px Armed Forces loyalists

| combatant2 = 25px Armed Forces rebels
MLPC party

| commander1 = André Kolingba

| commander2 = Ange-Félix Patassé
David Dacko

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{{History of the Central African Republic}}

On 3 March 1982,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/17/world/in-central-african-republic-a-coup-or-just-a-charade.html|title=IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, A COUP OR JUST A CHARADE?|date=17 March 1982|author=Alan Cowell|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 June 2019}} opposition politician and leader of the MLPC party, Ange-Félix Patassé, returned from exile to the Central African Republic and staged an unsuccessful coup against General André Kolingba (who himself took power in the 1981 coup d'état) with the help of a few military officers, such as General François Bozizé, who accused Kolingba of treason and proclaimed the change of power in a radio announcement.{{Harvnb|Kalck|2005|p=xxxix}}.

Four days later, having failed to gain the support of the Central African Armed Forces, Patassé went in disguise to the French Embassy in Bangui to seek refuge. After heated negotiations between the Kolingba government and France, Patassé was allowed to leave for exile in Togo, where he lived from 1982 until his return to the Central African Republic in 1992.{{cite news |first=|last=|title=Angèle Patassé est décédée |url=https://www.republicoftogo.com/toutes-les-rubriques/diplomatie/angele-patasse-est-decedee |work=Republic of Togo |publisher= |date=2007-12-05 |access-date=2023-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604235721/https://www.republicoftogo.com/toutes-les-rubriques/diplomatie/angele-patasse-est-decedee |archive-date=2023-06-04 |url-status=live}}{{cite book| last = Doeden| first = Matt| title = Central African Republic in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series)| publisher = Twenty First Century Books (February 2009)| year = 2009| isbn = 978-1575059525| page = [https://archive.org/details/centralafricanre0000doed/page/30 30]| url = https://archive.org/details/centralafricanre0000doed/page/30}} Bozizé fled to the north of the country with 100 soldiers,{{Harvnb|Kalck|2005|p=8}}. before obtaining refuge in France.{{Harvnb|Kalck|2005|p=xl}}.