On August 15, 1891, during the Gaillard expedition, the gunboat Le Ballay sank in the rapids of Satéma.[4] The administrative control point of Satema was created on July 9, 1982 in the municipality of Kotto-Oubangui. In 2002, the locality is erected in sub-prefecture.
In early January 2013, Séléka rebels arrived in Satema following withdrawal of armed forces. They kidnapped a woman and pillaged several building including state institutions and the Catholic Church.[5] In November 2016 it was reported that Satema was under the control of the rebel group known as the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic.[6] Since at least 2017, it is under control of anti-balaka militias which reportedly as of 2019 engage in forced marriage, kidnappings and ritual killings in the subprefecture.[7] On 4 April 2021 it was reported that 50 Anti-balaka fighters led by General Ndagou with automatic weapons were based in Satema.[8]
Central African Republic
