September 20, 2004
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25 YEARS AGO TODAY
Sep 20 1979
With the aid of 700 French paratroopers, David Dacko mounts a successful coup against the regime of Jean-Bedel Bokassa (February 22, 1921 – November 3, 1996) in the Central African Republic.
Emperor Bokassa during his coronation
Born in Bobangi, Bokassa was a career soldier. He joined the Free French Forces and ended World War II as a sergeant major with the Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre. He left the French army in 1964 to join the army of the Central African Republic. Bokassa rose to the rank of colonel and chief of staff of the armed forces.
On January 1, 1966, with the country in economic turmoil, Bokassa overthrew the autocratic President David Dacko in a swift coup d'état. He abolished the constitution of 1959 on January 4 and began to rule by decree.
In March 1972 Bokassa made himself President for Life.
After a meeting with Colonel Qadaffi of Libya, Bokassa decided to convert to Islam and changed his name to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa.
In September 1976 he dissolved the government and replaced it with the Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine.
On December 4, 1976 Bokassa declared the republic a monarchy, converted back to Catholicism and had himself crowned Emperor Bokassa I.
Over $20 million was spent on the coronation, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event.
Though it was claimed that the new Empire would be a constitutional monarchy, no significant democratic reforms were made, and suppression of dissenters remained widespread. Torture was said to be especially rampant, with allegations that even Bokassa himself occasionaly participated in beatings.
France remained a supporter of Bokassa. French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was a friend and loyal supporter of the emperor, and supplied the regime with much financial and military backing. In exchange, Bokassa frequently took d'Estaing on hunting trips in Africa and supplied France with uranium, a mineral which was vital for France's nuclear weapons program. It was revealed the emperor had been giving the president frequent "gifts" of diamonds.
On April 17-19 a number of schoolchildren were arrested after they had protested against wearing the expensive, government required school uniforms. Around 100 were killed. It was claimed that Bokassa had participated in the killings and even that he had eaten some of the bodies. Former President David Dacko was able to gain French support and lead a successful coup using French troops.
Bokassa had been sentenced to death in absentia but when he returned from exile in France he was arrested and tried for treason, murder, cannibalism and embezzlement. He was sentenced to death again.
His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in February 1988.
Bokassa was released on August 1. He had seventeen wives and a reported fifty children. He died of a heart attack.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%E9del_Bokassa
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