Editing Jean-Bédel Bokassa (section)

===Threat to power===
Bokassa and Banza had a major argument over the country's budget, as Banza adamantly opposed the president's extravagant spending. Bokassa moved to Camp de Roux, where he felt he could safely run the government without having to worry about Banza's thirst for power. In the meantime, Banza tried to obtain a support base within the army, spending much of his time in the company of soldiers. Bokassa recognized what his minister was doing, so he sent military units most sympathetic to Banza to the country's border and brought his own army supporters as close to the capital as possible. In September 1967, he took a special trip to Paris, where he asked for protection from French troops. Two months later, the government deployed 80 paratroopers to Bangui.

On 13 April 1968, in another one of his frequent cabinet reshuffles, Bokassa demoted Banza to minister of health, but let him remain in his position as minister of state. Cognizant of the president's intentions, Banza increased his vocalization of dissenting political views.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span>A year later, after Banza made a number of remarks highly critical of Bokassa and his management of the economy, the president, perceiving an immediate threat to his power, removed him as his minister of state. Banza revealed his intention to stage a coup to Lieutenant Jean-Claude Mandaba, the commanding officer of Camp Kassaï, who he looked to for support. Mandaba went along with the plan, but his allegiance remained with Bokassa. When Banza contacted his co-conspirators on 8 April 1969, informing them that they would execute the coup the following day, Mandaba immediately phoned Bokassa and informed him of the plan. When Banza entered Camp Kassaï on 9 April 1969, he was ambushed by Mandaba and his soldiers. The men had to break Banza's arms before they could overpower and throw him into the trunk of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz Mercedes] and take him directly to Bokassa.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span>At his house in Berengo, Bokassa nearly beat Banza to death before Mandaba suggested that Banza be put on trial for appearance's sake.

On 12 April, Banza presented his case before a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_tribunal military tribunal] at Camp de Roux, where he admitted to his plan, but stated that he had not planned to kill Bokassa.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span>He was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment sentenced to death] by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_firing_squad firing squad], taken to an open field behind Camp Kassaï, executed and buried in an unmarked grave. The circumstances of Banza's death have been disputed. The Americans reported that Banza "was dragged before a Cabinet meeting where Bokassa slashed him with a razor. Guards then beat Banza until his back was broken, dragged him through the streets of Bangui and finally shot him."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1969/04/14/archives/central-africans-execute-official-republics-health-minister-accused.html CENTRAL AFRICANS EXECUTE OFFICIAL; Republic's Health Minister Accused of Plotting Coup], ''The New York Times''</ref> The French daily evening newspaper ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Monde Le Monde]'' reported that Banza was killed in circumstances "so revolting that it still makes one's flesh creep":
Two versions concerning the end circumstances of his death differ on one minor detail. Did Bokassa tie him to a pillar before personally carving him with a knife that he had previously used for stirring his coffee in the gold-and-midnight blue Sèvres coffee set, or was the murder committed on the cabinet table with the help of other persons? Late that afternoon, soldiers dragged a still identifiable corpse, with the spinal column smashed, from barrack to barrack to serve as an example.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span>