Jean-Bédel Bokassa: Difference between revisions

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{{Important}}{{Mature}}{{Villain_Infobox

|Image = ~~Jean-bedel-bokassa-central-african-empire~~.png

{{Villain_Infobox

|Image = Bokassa colored.png

|fullname = Jean-Bédel Bokassa

|alias = Bokassa I Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa The Butcher of Bangui The Cannibal Dictator

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|origin = Bobangui, Ubangi-Shari, French Equatorial Africa

|type of villain = Power Hungry Dictator

|crimes = Embezzlement [[Cannibalism]] Abuse of power Mass [[murder]] Human rights violations Treason [[Torture]]

|crimes = Embezzlement [[Cannibalism]] Abuse of power Mass murder Human rights violations Treason [[Torture]]

|goals = Conquer all of Central Africa (failed)

|hobby = God Wannabe}}

|hobby = God Wannabe

}}

{{Quote|I'm don't say I'm a saint. I'm a man like any other.|Jean-Bedel Bokassa}}

'''Jean-Bedel Bokasa''' (February 22, 1921 - November 3, 1996) was the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state head of state] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic Central African Republic] and its successor state, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire], from his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat coup d'état] on 1 January 1966 until 20 September 1979. Of this period, he served almost eleven years (1 January 1966 – 4 December 1976) as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President president] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_for_life president for life] in 1972–1976), and for almost three years he reigned as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Central_Africa emperor] (4 December 1976 – 20 September 1979). Following his overthrow, the Central African Republic was restored. Although Bokassa was formally crowned in December 1977, his imperial title did not achieve worldwide diplomatic recognition.

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Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], the son of a village chief, Jean-Bedel Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined the French colonial army in 1939 as a private. He distinguished himself in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War war in Indochina], winning medals and rising to the rank of captain. When French Equatorial Africa gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] invited Bokassa to head the armed forces. In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In 1977, in emulation of his hero [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], he crowned himself emperor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire] in a ceremony costing $20 million, practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million. In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to wear uniforms made in a factory he owned, and personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.

On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled. After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and [[murder]]. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [[cannibalism]], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.

On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled. After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [[cannibalism]], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.

==Early life==

== Early life ==

Bokassa was born on 22 February 1921 as one of 12 children to Mindogon Mgboundoulou, a village chief, and his wife Marie Yokowo in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobangui Bobangui], a large [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%27Baka M'Baka] village in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobaye Lobaye] basin located at the edge of the equatorial forest, then a part of colonial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], some 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui]. Mgboundoulou was forced to organise the rosters of his village people to work for the French Forestière company. After hearing about the efforts of a prophet named Karnu to resist French rule and forced labour, Mgboundoulou decided that he would no longer follow French orders. He released some of his fellow villagers who were being held hostage by the Forestière. The company considered this to be a rebellious act, so they detained Mgboundoulou, and took him away bound in chains to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mba%C3%AFki Mbaïki]. On 13 November 1927, he was beaten to death in the town square just outside the prefecture office. A week later, Bokassa's mother, Marie Yokowo, unable to bear the grief of losing her husband, committed suicide.

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Bokassa sought recognition for his status as leader of the army. He frequently appeared in public wearing all his military decorations, and in ceremonies, he often sat next to President Dacko to display his importance in the government. Bokassa frequently got into heated arguments with Jean-Paul Douate, the government's chief of protocol, who admonished him for not following the correct order of seating at presidential tables. At first, Dacko found his cousin's antics amusing. Despite the number of recent military coups in Africa, Dacko publicly dismissed the likelihood that Bokassa would try to take control of the country. At an official dinner, he said, "Colonel Bokassa only wants to collect medals and he is too stupid to pull off a coup d'état". Other members of Dacko's cabinet believed that Bokassa was a genuine threat to the regime. Jean-Arthur Bandio, the minister of interior, suggested Dacko name Bokassa to the Cabinet, which he hoped would both break the colonel's close connections with the CAR army and satisfy the colonel's desire for recognition. To combat the chance that Bokassa would stage a coup, Dacko created the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarmerie gendarmerie], an armed police force of 500 and a 120-member presidential security guard, led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Izamo Jean Izamo] and Prosper Mounoumbaye, respectively.

==Tensions rise between Dacko and Bokassa==

== Tensions rise between Dacko and Bokassa ==

Dacko's government faced a number of problems during 1964 and 1965: the economy experienced [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_stagnation stagnation], the bureaucracy started to fall apart, and the country's boundaries were constantly breached by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumba Lumumbists] from the south and the rebel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan_People%27s_Liberation_Army Sudan People's Liberation Army] from the east. Under pressure from political radicals in the ''Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire'' (Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MESAN MESAN]) and in an attempt to cultivate alternative sources of support and display his ability to make foreign policy without the help of the French government, Dacko established diplomatic relations with [[Mao Zedong]]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China People's Republic of China] (PRC) in September 1964. A delegation led by Meng Yieng and agents of the Chinese government toured the country, showing [[Propaganda|communist propaganda films]]. Soon after, the PRC gave the CAR an interest-free loan of one billion [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFA_franc CFA francs] (20 million [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_franc French francs]); however, the aid failed to subdue the prospect of a financial collapse for the country. Widespread corruption by government officials and politicians added to the country's list of problems. Bokassa felt that he needed to take over the CAR government to solve all the country's problems—most importantly, to rid the country from the influence of communism. According to Samuel Decalo, a scholar on African government, Bokassa's personal ambitions played the most important role in his decision to launch a coup against Dacko.

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==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].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp27-22 [22]]

~~<nowiki>[[File:Bokassa_colored.png|thumb|Jean-Bédel Bokassa during his 1970 [[wikipedia:State visit|state visit]] to Romania]]</nowiki>~~

Around midnight, Bokassa, Banza and their supporters left Camp de Roux to take over the capital. 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.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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_African_Time WAT] (01:00 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC UTC]). 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. In the morning, Bokassa addressed the public via Radio-Bangui: ''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!''Translation:

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==Early years of regime==

In the early days of his regime, Bokassa engaged in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-promotion self-promotion] before the local media, showing his countrymen his French army medals, and displaying his strength, fearlessness and masculinity. He formed a new government called the Revolutionary Council, invalidated the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. He called it "a lifeless organ no longer representing the people". In his address to the nation, Bokassa claimed that the government would hold elections in the future, a new assembly would be formed, and a new constitution would be written. He also told his countrymen that he would give up his power after the communist threat had been eliminated, the economy stabilized, and corruption rooted out. President Bokassa allowed MESAN to continue functioning, but barred all other political organizations from the country. In the coming months, Bokassa imposed a number of new rules and regulations: men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 had to provide proof that they had jobs, or else they would be fined or imprisoned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging begging] was banned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom-tom_drum tom-tom] playing was allowed only during the nights and weekends; and a "morality brigade" was formed in the capital to monitor bars and dance halls. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy Polygamy], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry dowries] and [~~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting~~ female circumcision] were all abolished. Bokassa also opened a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport public transport] system in Bangui made up of three interconnected bus lines through the capital city as well as a ferry service on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubangi_river Ubangi river], and subsidized the creation of two national [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra orchestras].

In the early days of his regime, Bokassa engaged in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-promotion self-promotion] before the local media, showing his countrymen his French army medals, and displaying his strength, fearlessness and masculinity. He formed a new government called the Revolutionary Council, invalidated the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. He called it "a lifeless organ no longer representing the people". In his address to the nation, Bokassa claimed that the government would hold elections in the future, a new assembly would be formed, and a new constitution would be written. He also told his countrymen that he would give up his power after the communist threat had been eliminated, the economy stabilized, and corruption rooted out. President Bokassa allowed MESAN to continue functioning, but barred all other political organizations from the country. In the coming months, Bokassa imposed a number of new rules and regulations: men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 had to provide proof that they had jobs, or else they would be fined or imprisoned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging begging] was banned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom-tom_drum tom-tom] playing was allowed only during the nights and weekends; and a "morality brigade" was formed in the capital to monitor bars and dance halls. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy Polygamy], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry dowries] and [[Female genital mutilation|female circumcision]] were all abolished. Bokassa also opened a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport public transport] system in Bangui made up of three interconnected bus lines through the capital city as well as a ferry service on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubangi_river Ubangi river], and subsidized the creation of two national [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra orchestras].

[[File:Bokassa l'imperatore cannibale.jpg|thumb]]

Despite the positive changes in the country, Bokassa had difficulty obtaining international recognition for his new government. He tried to justify the coup by explaining that Izamo and communist Chinese agents were trying to take over the government and that he had to intervene to save the CAR from the influence of communism. He alleged that Chinese agents in the countryside had been training and arming locals to start a revolution, and on 6 January 1966, he dismissed the communist agents from the country and cut off diplomatic relations with China. Bokassa also believed that the coup was necessary in order to prevent further corruption in the government.

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After a meeting with Gaddafi in September 1976, Bokassa converted to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam Islam] and changed his name to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa, but in December 1976 he converted back to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholicism Catholicism]. It is presumed that his conversion to Islam was a ploy calculated to ensure ongoing Libyan financial aid. When no funds promised by Gaddafi were forthcoming, Bokassa abandoned his new faith—which was also incompatible with his plans to be crowned emperor in the Catholic cathedral in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui].

===Proclamation of the Empire===

In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the ''Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine'' (Central African Revolutionary Council). On 4 December 1976, at the MESAN congress, Bokassa instituted a new constitution and declared the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic republic] a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy monarchy], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire]. The following year, he issued an imperial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution constitution], announced his conversion back to Catholicism and had himself crowned "S.M.I. Bokassa 1er ", with S.M.I. standing for ''Sa Majesté Impériale'': "His Imperial Majesty", in a formal coronation ceremony on 4 December 1977. Bokassa's full title was ''Empereur de Centrafrique par la volonté du peuple Centrafricain, uni au sein du parti politique national, le MESAN'' ("Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN"). His [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regalia regalia], lavish [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation coronation] ceremony and regime of the newly formed Central African Empire were largely inspired by [~~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_I_of_France~~ Napoleon I], who had converted the French Revolutionary Republic of which he was First Consul into the First French Empire. The coronation ceremony was estimated to cost his country roughly 20 million US dollars. Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. The 1977 coronation ceremony consumed one third of the CAE's (Central African Empire) annual budget and all of France's aid money for that year, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. By this time, many people in the CAE and in the rest of the world thought Bokassa was insane, and the Western press, mostly in France, the UK, and USA, often compared his eccentric behavior and egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, [[Idi Amin]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda Uganda]. Tenacious rumors that he occasionally [[Cannibalism|consumed human flesh]] were found unproven during his eventual trial.

In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the ''Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine'' (Central African Revolutionary Council). On 4 December 1976, at the MESAN congress, Bokassa instituted a new constitution and declared the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic republic] a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy monarchy], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire]. The following year, he issued an imperial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution constitution], announced his conversion back to Catholicism and had himself crowned "S.M.I. Bokassa 1er ", with S.M.I. standing for ''Sa Majesté Impériale'': "His Imperial Majesty", in a formal coronation ceremony on 4 December 1977. Bokassa's full title was ''Empereur de Centrafrique par la volonté du peuple Centrafricain, uni au sein du parti politique national, le MESAN'' ("Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN"). His [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regalia regalia], lavish [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation coronation] ceremony and regime of the newly formed Central African Empire were largely inspired by [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleon I]], who had converted the French Revolutionary Republic of which he was First Consul into the First French Empire. The coronation ceremony was estimated to cost his country roughly 20 million US dollars. Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. The 1977 coronation ceremony consumed one third of the CAE's (Central African Empire) annual budget and all of France's aid money for that year, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. By this time, many people in the CAE and in the rest of the world thought Bokassa was insane, and the Western press, mostly in France, the UK, and USA, often compared his eccentric behavior and egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, [[Idi Amin]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda Uganda]. Tenacious rumors that he occasionally [[Cannibalism|consumed human flesh]] were found unproven during his eventual trial.

[[File:Emperor Bokassa heiritier.jpg|thumb|274x274px|crown prince Bokassa Jr]]

Although Bokassa 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 occasionally participated in beatings and executions.

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[[Category:Arrogant]]

[[Category:God Wannabe]]

[[Category:~~Extravagent~~]]

[[Category:Extravagant]]

[[Category:Deceased]]

[[Category:Warlords]]

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-{{Important}}{{Mature}}{{Villain_Infobox
+{{Important}}
-|Image = Jean-bedel-bokassa-central-african-empire.png
+{{Mature}}
+{{Villain_Infobox
+|Image = Bokassa colored.png
 |fullname = Jean-Bédel Bokassa
 |alias = Bokassa I<br>Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa<br>The Butcher of Bangui<br>The Cannibal Dictator
@@ Line 7: / Line 9: @@
 |origin = Bobangui, Ubangi-Shari, French Equatorial Africa
 |type of villain = Power Hungry Dictator
-|crimes = Embezzlement<br>[[Cannibalism]]<br>Abuse of power<br>Mass [[murder]]<br>Human rights violations<br>Treason<br>[[Torture]]
+|crimes = Embezzlement<br>[[Cannibalism]]<br>Abuse of power<br>Mass murder<br>Human rights violations<br>Treason<br>[[Torture]]
 |goals = Conquer all of Central Africa (failed)
-|hobby = God Wannabe}}
+|hobby = God Wannabe
+}}
 {{Quote|I'm don't say I'm a saint. I'm a man like any other.|Jean-Bedel Bokassa}}
 '''Jean-Bedel Bokasa''' (February 22, 1921 - November 3, 1996) was the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state head of state] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic Central African Republic] and its successor state, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire], from his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C3%A9tat coup d'état] on 1 January 1966 until 20 September 1979. Of this period, he served almost eleven years (1 January 1966 – 4 December 1976) as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President president] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_for_life president for life] in 1972–1976), and for almost three years he reigned as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Central_Africa emperor] (4 December 1976 – 20 September 1979). Following his overthrow, the Central African Republic was restored. Although Bokassa was formally crowned in December 1977, his imperial title did not achieve worldwide diplomatic recognition.
@@ Line 15: / Line 18: @@
 Born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], the son of a village chief, Jean-Bedel Bokassa was orphaned at age 12. Educated in mission schools, he joined the French colonial army in 1939 as a private. He distinguished himself in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War war in Indochina], winning medals and rising to the rank of captain. When French Equatorial Africa gained its independence as the Central African Republic in 1960, the new president [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] invited Bokassa to head the armed forces. In 1966, Bokassa used his position to oust Dacko and declared himself president. He then began a reign of terror, taking all important government posts for himself.He personally supervised judicial beatings and introduced a rule that thieves would have an ear cut off for the first two offenses and a hand for the third. In 1977, in emulation of his hero [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], he crowned himself emperor of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire] in a ceremony costing $20 million, practically bankrupting the country. His diamond-encrusted crown alone cost $5 million. In 1979 he had hundreds of schoolchildren arrested for refusing to wear uniforms made in a factory he owned, and personally supervised the massacre of 100 of the schoolchildren by his Imperial Guard.
-On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled. After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and [[murder]]. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [[cannibalism]], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.
+On 20 September 1979, French paratroopers deposed him and re-installed Dacko as president. Bokassa went into exile in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] where he had chateaux and other property bought with the money he had embezzled. After his overthrow in 1979, Central Africa reverted to its former name and status as the ''Central African Republic''. In his absence, he was tried and sentenced to death. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986 and was put on trial for treason and murder. In 1987, he was cleared of charges of [[cannibalism]], but found guilty of the murder of schoolchildren and other crimes. The death sentence was later commuted to life in solitary confinement, but just six years later, in 1993, he was freed. He lived a private life in his former capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui], and died in November 1996.
-==Early life==
+== Early life ==
 Bokassa was born on 22 February 1921 as one of 12 children to Mindogon Mgboundoulou, a village chief, and his wife Marie Yokowo in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobangui Bobangui], a large [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%27Baka M'Baka] village in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobaye Lobaye] basin located at the edge of the equatorial forest, then a part of colonial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], some 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui].<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Mgboundoulou was forced to organise the rosters of his village people to work for the French Forestière company. After hearing about the efforts of a prophet named Karnu to resist French rule and forced labour, Mgboundoulou decided that he would no longer follow French orders. He released some of his fellow villagers who were being held hostage by the Forestière. The company considered this to be a rebellious act, so they detained Mgboundoulou, and took him away bound in chains to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mba%C3%AFki Mbaïki]. On 13 November 1927, he was beaten to death in the town square just outside the prefecture office. A week later, Bokassa's mother, Marie Yokowo, unable to bear the grief of losing her husband, committed suicide.
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 Bokassa sought recognition for his status as leader of the army. He frequently appeared in public wearing all his military decorations, and in ceremonies, he often sat next to President Dacko to display his importance in the government. Bokassa frequently got into heated arguments with Jean-Paul Douate, the government's chief of protocol, who admonished him for not following the correct order of seating at presidential tables. At first, Dacko found his cousin's antics amusing.<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Despite the number of recent military coups in Africa, Dacko publicly dismissed the likelihood that Bokassa would try to take control of the country. At an official dinner, he said, "Colonel Bokassa only wants to collect medals and he is too stupid to pull off a coup d'état".<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Other members of Dacko's cabinet believed that Bokassa was a genuine threat to the regime. Jean-Arthur Bandio, the minister of interior, suggested Dacko name Bokassa to the Cabinet, which he hoped would both break the colonel's close connections with the CAR army and satisfy the colonel's desire for recognition. To combat the chance that Bokassa would stage a coup, Dacko created the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendarmerie gendarmerie], an armed police force of 500 and a 120-member presidential security guard, led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Izamo Jean Izamo] and Prosper Mounoumbaye, respectively.
-==Tensions rise between Dacko and Bokassa==
+== Tensions rise between Dacko and Bokassa ==
 Dacko's government faced a number of problems during 1964 and 1965: the economy experienced [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_stagnation stagnation], the bureaucracy started to fall apart, and the country's boundaries were constantly breached by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrice_Lumumba Lumumbists] from the south and the rebel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudan_People%27s_Liberation_Army Sudan People's Liberation Army] from the east. Under pressure from political radicals in the ''Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire'' (Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MESAN MESAN]) and in an attempt to cultivate alternative sources of support and display his ability to make foreign policy without the help of the French government, Dacko established diplomatic relations with [[Mao Zedong]]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China People's Republic of China] (PRC) in September 1964. A delegation led by Meng Yieng and agents of the Chinese government toured the country, showing [[Propaganda|communist propaganda films]]. Soon after, the PRC gave the CAR an interest-free loan of one billion [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFA_franc CFA francs] (20 million [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_franc French francs]); however, the aid failed to subdue the prospect of a financial collapse for the country. Widespread corruption by government officials and politicians added to the country's list of problems. Bokassa felt that he needed to take over the CAR government to solve all the country's problems—most importantly, to rid the country from the influence of communism. According to Samuel Decalo, a scholar on African government, Bokassa's personal ambitions played the most important role in his decision to launch a coup against Dacko.
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 ==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>
-<nowiki>[[File:Bokassa_colored.png|thumb|Jean-Bédel Bokassa during his 1970 [[wikipedia:State visit|state visit]] to Romania]]</nowiki>
 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>
@@ Line 49: / Line 51: @@
 ==Early years of regime==
-In the early days of his regime, Bokassa engaged in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-promotion self-promotion] before the local media, showing his countrymen his French army medals, and displaying his strength, fearlessness and masculinity. He formed a new government called the Revolutionary Council, invalidated the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span>He called it "a lifeless organ no longer representing the people". In his address to the nation, Bokassa claimed that the government would hold elections in the future, a new assembly would be formed, and a new constitution would be written. He also told his countrymen that he would give up his power after the communist threat had been eliminated, the economy stabilized, and corruption rooted out. President Bokassa allowed MESAN to continue functioning, but barred all other political organizations from the country. In the coming months, Bokassa imposed a number of new rules and regulations: men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 had to provide proof that they had jobs, or else they would be fined or imprisoned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging begging] was banned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom-tom_drum tom-tom] playing was allowed only during the nights and weekends; and a "morality brigade" was formed in the capital to monitor bars and dance halls. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy Polygamy], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry dowries] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting female circumcision] were all abolished. Bokassa also opened a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport public transport] system in Bangui made up of three interconnected bus lines through the capital city as well as a ferry service on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubangi_river Ubangi river], and subsidized the creation of two national [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra orchestras].
+In the early days of his regime, Bokassa engaged in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-promotion self-promotion] before the local media, showing his countrymen his French army medals, and displaying his strength, fearlessness and masculinity. He formed a new government called the Revolutionary Council, invalidated the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly.<span style="line-height:0px;"> </span>He called it "a lifeless organ no longer representing the people". In his address to the nation, Bokassa claimed that the government would hold elections in the future, a new assembly would be formed, and a new constitution would be written. He also told his countrymen that he would give up his power after the communist threat had been eliminated, the economy stabilized, and corruption rooted out. President Bokassa allowed MESAN to continue functioning, but barred all other political organizations from the country. In the coming months, Bokassa imposed a number of new rules and regulations: men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 had to provide proof that they had jobs, or else they would be fined or imprisoned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging begging] was banned; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom-tom_drum tom-tom] playing was allowed only during the nights and weekends; and a "morality brigade" was formed in the capital to monitor bars and dance halls. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy Polygamy], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry dowries] and [[Female genital mutilation|female circumcision]] were all abolished. Bokassa also opened a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport public transport] system in Bangui made up of three interconnected bus lines through the capital city as well as a ferry service on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubangi_river Ubangi river], and subsidized the creation of two national [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra orchestras].
 [[File:Bokassa l'imperatore cannibale.jpg|thumb]]
 Despite the positive changes in the country, Bokassa had difficulty obtaining international recognition for his new government. He tried to justify the coup by explaining that Izamo and communist Chinese agents were trying to take over the government and that he had to intervene to save the CAR from the influence of communism. He alleged that Chinese agents in the countryside had been training and arming locals to start a revolution, and on 6 January 1966, he dismissed the communist agents from the country and cut off diplomatic relations with China. Bokassa also believed that the coup was necessary in order to prevent further corruption in the government.
@@ Line 74: / Line 76: @@
 After a meeting with Gaddafi in September 1976, Bokassa converted to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam Islam] and changed his name to Salah Eddine Ahmed Bokassa, but in December 1976 he converted back to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholicism Catholicism]. It is presumed that his conversion to Islam was a ploy calculated to ensure ongoing Libyan financial aid. When no funds promised by Gaddafi were forthcoming, Bokassa abandoned his new faith—which was also incompatible with his plans to be crowned emperor in the Catholic cathedral in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui].
 ===Proclamation of the Empire===
-In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the ''Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine'' (Central African Revolutionary Council). On 4 December 1976, at the MESAN congress, Bokassa instituted a new constitution and declared the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic republic] a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy monarchy], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire]. The following year, he issued an imperial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution constitution], announced his conversion back to Catholicism and had himself crowned "S.M.I. Bokassa 1<sup>er</sup> ", with S.M.I. standing for ''Sa Majesté Impériale'': "His Imperial Majesty", in a formal coronation ceremony on 4 December 1977. Bokassa's full title was ''Empereur de Centrafrique par la volonté du peuple Centrafricain, uni au sein du parti politique national, le MESAN'' ("Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN"). His [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regalia regalia], lavish [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation coronation] ceremony and regime of the newly formed Central African Empire were largely inspired by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_I_of_France Napoleon I], who had converted the French Revolutionary Republic of which he was First Consul into the First French Empire. The coronation ceremony was estimated to cost his country roughly 20 million US dollars. Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. The 1977 coronation ceremony consumed one third of the CAE's (Central African Empire) annual budget and all of France's aid money for that year, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. By this time, many people in the CAE and in the rest of the world thought Bokassa was insane, and the Western press, mostly in France, the UK, and USA, often compared his eccentric behavior and egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, [[Idi Amin]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda Uganda]. Tenacious rumors that he occasionally [[Cannibalism|consumed human flesh]] were found unproven during his eventual trial.
+In September 1976, Bokassa dissolved the government and replaced it with the ''Conseil de la Révolution Centrafricaine'' (Central African Revolutionary Council). On 4 December 1976, at the MESAN congress, Bokassa instituted a new constitution and declared the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic republic] a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy monarchy], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Empire Central African Empire]. The following year, he issued an imperial [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution constitution], announced his conversion back to Catholicism and had himself crowned "S.M.I. Bokassa 1<sup>er</sup> ", with S.M.I. standing for ''Sa Majesté Impériale'': "His Imperial Majesty", in a formal coronation ceremony on 4 December 1977. Bokassa's full title was ''Empereur de Centrafrique par la volonté du peuple Centrafricain, uni au sein du parti politique national, le MESAN'' ("Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN"). His [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regalia regalia], lavish [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation coronation] ceremony and regime of the newly formed Central African Empire were largely inspired by [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Napoleon I]], who had converted the French Revolutionary Republic of which he was First Consul into the First French Empire. The coronation ceremony was estimated to cost his country roughly 20 million US dollars. Bokassa attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. The 1977 coronation ceremony consumed one third of the CAE's (Central African Empire) annual budget and all of France's aid money for that year, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. By this time, many people in the CAE and in the rest of the world thought Bokassa was insane, and the Western press, mostly in France, the UK, and USA, often compared his eccentric behavior and egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, [[Idi Amin]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda Uganda]. Tenacious rumors that he occasionally [[Cannibalism|consumed human flesh]] were found unproven during his eventual trial.
 [[File:Emperor Bokassa heiritier.jpg|thumb|274x274px|crown prince Bokassa Jr]]
 Although Bokassa 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 occasionally participated in beatings and executions.
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 [[Category:Arrogant]]
 [[Category:God Wannabe]]
-[[Category:Extravagent]]
+[[Category:Extravagant]]
 [[Category:Deceased]]
 [[Category:Warlords]]