Jean-Bédel Bokassa: Difference between revisions
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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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism 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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism 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].< | 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. | ||
Bokassa's extended family decided that it would be best if he received a French-language education at the ''Ecole Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc'', a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_%28Christian%29 Christian mission] school in Mbaïki. | Bokassa's extended family decided that it would be best if he received a French-language education at the ''Ecole Sainte-Jeanne d'Arc'', a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_%28Christian%29 Christian mission] school in Mbaïki. As a child, he was frequently taunted by his classmates about his orphanhood. He was short in stature and physically strong. In his studies, he became especially fond of a French grammar book by an author named Jean Bedel. His teachers noticed his attachment, and started calling him "Jean-Bedel". During his teenage years, Bokassa studied at ''Ecole Saint-Louis'' in Bangui, under Father Grüner. Grüner educated Bokassa with the intention of making him a priest, but realized that his student did not have the aptitude for study or the piety required for this occupation. He then studied at Father Compte's school in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville Brazzaville], where he developed his abilities as a cook. After graduating in 1939, Bokassa took the advice offered to him by his grandfather, M'Balanga, and Father Grüner, by joining the French [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_troops colonial troops] as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirailleur tirailleur] (rifleman) on 19 May 1939. | ||
==Military career== | ==Military career== | ||
While serving in the Second ''bataillon de marche'', Bokassa became a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal corporal] in July 1940 and a sergeant major in November 1941.< | While serving in the Second ''bataillon de marche'', Bokassa became a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal corporal] in July 1940 and a sergeant major in November 1941.<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>After the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_France_by_Nazi_Germany occupation of France by Nazi Germany], Bokassa served with an African unit of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_French_Forces Free French Forces] and took part in the capture of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_France Vichy government's] capital at Brazzaville. On 15 August 1944, he participated in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allies_of_World_War_II Allied Forces]’ landing in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provence Provence], France, in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dragoon Operation Dragoon] and fought in southern France and in Germany in early 1945 before [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany Nazi Germany] was toppled. He remained in the French Army after the war, studying [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_%28telecommunications%29 radio transmissions] at an army camp in the French coastal town of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9jus Fréjus].<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Afterwards, he attended [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Officer_training officer training] school in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Louis,_Senegal Saint-Louis, Senegal]. On 7 September 1950, Bokassa headed to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochina Indochina] as the transmissions expert for the battalion of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholon,_Ho_Chi_Minh_City Saigon-Cholon]. Bokassa saw some combat during the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War First Indochina War] before his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_duty tour of duty] ended in March 1953. For his exploits in battle, he was honored with membership of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9gion_d%27honneur Légion d'honneur], and was decorated with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croix_de_guerre_des_th%C3%A9%C3%A2tres_d%27op%C3%A9rations_ext%C3%A9rieures Croix de guerre]. During his stay in Indochina, he married a 17-year-old Vietnamese girl named Nguyen Thi Hué. After Hué bore him a daughter, Bokassa had the child registered as a French [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationality national]. Bokassa left Indochina without his wife and child, as he believed he would return for another tour of duty in the near future.<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Upon his return to France, Bokassa was stationed at Fréjus, where he taught radio transmissions to African recruits. In 1956, he was promoted to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Lieutenant Second Lieutenant] and two years later to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant Lieutenant].<span style="font-size:11px;line-height:0px;"> </span>Bokassa was then stationed as a military technical assistant in December 1958 in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville Brazzaville], and in 1959 after a twenty year absence he was posted back to his homeland in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangui Bangui]. He was promoted to the rank of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_%28OF-2%29 Captain] on 1 July 1961. | ||
The French colony of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oubangui-Chari Ubangi-Chari] (Oubangui-Chari in French), part of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], had become a semi-autonomous territory of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Community French Community] in 1958 and then an independent nation as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic Central African Republic] on 13 August 1960. | The French colony of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oubangui-Chari Ubangi-Chari] (Oubangui-Chari in French), part of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Equatorial_Africa French Equatorial Africa], had become a semi-autonomous territory of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Community French Community] in 1958 and then an independent nation as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic Central African Republic] on 13 August 1960. | ||
On 1 January 1962, Bokassa left the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Army French Army] and joined the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_Central_African_Republic military forces of the CAR] with the rank of battalion commandant. | On 1 January 1962, Bokassa left the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Army French Army] and joined the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_the_Central_African_Republic military forces of the CAR] with the rank of battalion commandant. As a cousin of the CAR President [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dacko David Dacko] and nephew of Dacko's predecessor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barth%C3%A9l%C3%A9my_Boganda Barthélémy Boganda], Bokassa was given the task of creating the new country's military. Over a year later, Bokassa became [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-chief commander-in-chief] of the 500 soldiers in the Central African Army. Due to his relationship to Dacko and experience abroad in the French military, Bokassa was able to quickly rise through the ranks of the new national army, becoming the Central African Army's first colonel on 1 December 1964. | ||
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 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp25_16-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp25-16 [16]]</sup> 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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong Mao Zedong]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China People's Republic of China] (PRC) in September 1964.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp25_16-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp25-16 [16]]</sup> A delegation led by Meng Yieng and agents of the Chinese government toured the country, showing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_in_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China 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]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-17 [17]]</sup>); however, the aid failed to subdue the prospect of a financial collapse for the country.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp25_16-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp25-16 [16]]</sup> Widespread [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_corruption corruption] by government officials and politicians added to the country's list of problems.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-18 [18]]</sup> 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-19 [19]]</sup> | 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp25_16-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp25-16 [16]]</sup> 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 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong Mao Zedong]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China People's Republic of China] (PRC) in September 1964.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp25_16-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp25-16 [16]]</sup> A delegation led by Meng Yieng and agents of the Chinese government toured the country, showing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_in_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China 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]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-17 [17]]</sup>); however, the aid failed to subdue the prospect of a financial collapse for the country.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Titleyp25_16-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-Titleyp25-16 [16]]</sup> Widespread [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_corruption corruption] by government officials and politicians added to the country's list of problems.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-18 [18]]</sup> 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-19 [19]]</sup> | ||
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On 12 June 1987, Bokassa was found guilty of all but the cannibalism charges. The court acknowledged that many individual allegations of murder had been levelled at Bokassa but found that the evidence was unimpeachable in only about 20 cases. Bokassa was said to have wept silently as Judge Franck sentenced him to death. Szpiner and Gibault appealed the verdict for a retrial on the grounds that the Central African Republic's constitution allowed a former head of state to be charged only with treason. The CAR supreme court rejected the appeal.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-50 [50]]</sup> | On 12 June 1987, Bokassa was found guilty of all but the cannibalism charges. The court acknowledged that many individual allegations of murder had been levelled at Bokassa but found that the evidence was unimpeachable in only about 20 cases. Bokassa was said to have wept silently as Judge Franck sentenced him to death. Szpiner and Gibault appealed the verdict for a retrial on the grounds that the Central African Republic's constitution allowed a former head of state to be charged only with treason. The CAR supreme court rejected the appeal.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-B%C3%A9del_Bokassa#cite_note-50 [50]]</sup> | ||
On 29 February 1988, President Kolingba demonstrated his opposition to capital punishment by voiding the death penalty against Bokassa and commuted his sentence to life in prison in solitary confinement, and the following year reduced the sentence to 20 years. | On 29 February 1988, President Kolingba demonstrated his opposition to capital punishment by voiding the death penalty against Bokassa and commuted his sentence to life in prison in solitary confinement, and the following year reduced the sentence to 20 years. With the return of democracy to the Central African Republic in 1993, Kolingba declared a general [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty amnesty] for all prisoners as one of his final acts as President, and Bokassa was released on 1 August 1993. | ||
Bokassa remained in the CAR for the rest of his life. In 1996, as his health declined, he proclaimed himself the 13th [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles Apostle] and claimed to have secret meetings with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope Pope]. Bokassa died of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction heart attack] on 3 November 1996 in Bangui, at the age of 75. He had 17 wives and a reported 50 children. | Bokassa remained in the CAR for the rest of his life. In 1996, as his health declined, he proclaimed himself the 13th [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles Apostle] and claimed to have secret meetings with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope Pope]. Bokassa died of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction heart attack] on 3 November 1996 in Bangui, at the age of 75. He had 17 wives and a reported 50 children. | ||