Editing Jean-Bédel Bokassa (section)

==Coup d'état==
Dacko left the Palais de la Renaissance early in the evening of 31 December 1965 to visit one of his ministers' plantations southwest of Bangui. An hour and a half before midnight, Captain Banza gave orders to his officers to begin the coup. Bokassa called Izamo at his headquarters and asked him to come to Camp de Roux to sign some documents that needed his immediate attention. Izamo, who was at a New Year's Eve celebration with friends, reluctantly agreed and travelled to the camp. Upon arrival, he was confronted by Banza and Bokassa, who informed him of the coup in progress. After declaring his opposition to the coup, Izamo was taken by the coup plotters to an underground [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basement cellar].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp27_22-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp27-22 [22]]</sup>

Around midnight, Bokassa, Banza and their supporters left Camp de Roux to take over the capital.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span><span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px;">After seizing the capital in a matter of hours, Bokassa and Banza rushed to the Palais de la Renaissance in order to arrest Dacko. However, Dacko was nowhere to be found. Bokassa panicked, believing the president had been warned of the coup in advance, and immediately ordered his soldiers to search for Dacko in the countryside until he was found.</span><span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px;">Dacko was arrested by soldiers patrolling Pétévo Junction, on the western border of the capital. He was taken back to the presidential palace, where Bokassa hugged the president and told him, "I tried to warn you—but now it's too late". President Dacko was taken to Ngaragba Prison in east Bangui at around 02:00 </span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_Time WAT]<span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px;"> (01:00 </span>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC UTC]<span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px;">). In a move that he thought would boost his popularity in the country, Bokassa ordered prison director Otto Sacher to release all prisoners in the jail. Bokassa then took Dacko to Camp Kassaï, where he forced the president to resign. Later, Bokassa's officers announced on Radio-Bangui that the Dacko government had been toppled and Bokassa had taken over control.</span><span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px;"> In the morning, Bokassa addressed the public via Radio-Bangui: </span>''Centrafricains! Centrafricains! C'est le colonel Bokassa vous parle. Depuis 3h00 ce matin, votre armée a pris le contrôle du gouvernement. Le gouvernement Dacko a démissionné. L'heure de la justice est à portée de main. La bourgeoisie est abolie. Une nouvelle ère de l'égalité entre tous a commencé. Centrafricains, où que vous soyez, soyez assuré que l'armée va vous défendre et de vos biens... Vive la République centrafricaine!''<span style="font-size:13px;line-height:21px;">Translation:</span>

Central Africans! Central Africans! This is Colonel Bokassa speaking to you. At 3:00 a.m. this morning, your army took control of the government. The Dacko government has resigned. The hour of justice is at hand. The bourgeoisie is abolished. A new era of equality among all has begun. Central Africans, wherever you may be, be assured that the army will defend you and your property ... Long live the Central African Republic!