Jean-Bédel Bokassa was a military officer and political leader who ruled the Central African Republic (CAR) from 1966 to 1979. His 14-year reign began as the second President of the CAR and culminated in the self-proclaimed title of Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire (CAE). His rule was characterized by extreme despotism, extravagance, widespread human rights abuses, and a massive cult of personality.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Jean-Bédel Bokassa |
| Born | February 22, 1921, Bobangui, French Equatorial Africa (now CAR) |
| Died | November 3, 1996 (aged 75), Bangui, CAR |
| Key Titles | President of the Central African Republic (1966–1976); Emperor of Central Africa (Bokassa I, 1976–1979) |
| Coup d’état | Saint-Sylvestre Coup (January 1, 1966) |
| Downfall | Operation Barracuda (French military coup, 1979) |
French Military Career
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Orphaned Childhood: Bokassa was orphaned at the age of six after his father, a village chief, was murdered by French colonial authorities and his mother subsequently committed suicide. He was raised by missionaries.
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Joins the French Army: He enlisted in the French Colonial Army in 1939 and became a distinguished soldier. He served with the Free French Forces during World War II, participating in the 1944 Allied landings in Provence, France.
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Indochina War: Bokassa saw combat during the First Indochina War (1946–1954). He rose to the rank of Captain and was highly decorated, receiving the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre.
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CAR Army Chief: At the request of his cousin, President David Dacko, Bokassa left the French Army to become the Commander-in-Chief of the newly independent Central African Republic’s military in 1962, where he quickly promoted himself to Colonel.
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Seizure of Power and Imperial Rule
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1966 Coup: On January 1, 1966, Bokassa overthrew President David Dacko in a bloodless military takeover known as the Saint-Sylvestre Coup d’état. He suspended the constitution, dissolved the National Assembly, and established an autocratic military regime.
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President for Life: Bokassa initially sought to stabilize the nation’s economy and infrastructure. However, he soon became known for his increasingly autocratic and unpredictable policies. In 1972, he proclaimed himself President for Life.
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The Central African Empire (CAE): In December 1976, Bokassa dissolved the republic, renamed the country the Central African Empire (CAE), and declared himself Emperor Bokassa I, modeling his decision after his hero, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Coronation of 1977
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Extravagance: Bokassa’s coronation on December 4, 1977, was a spectacle of extraordinary opulence. It was a near-exact copy of Napoleon’s 1804 coronation and is estimated to have cost over $20 million (equivalent to about one-third of the country’s annual budget and all the French aid for that year).
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Insult to Injury: He commissioned a gold crown and imported white horses, diamonds, and thousands of bottles of champagne, while the vast majority of his nation lived in abject poverty.
Downfall and Final Years
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Massacre of Students (1979): The Emperor’s rule ended after he was implicated in the brutal murder of approximately 100 schoolchildren in April 1979. The students had protested a regulation forcing them to buy expensive uniforms from a factory owned by one of Bokassa’s wives. International outcry led many governments to cut aid.
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Operation Barracuda: While Bokassa was abroad seeking financial aid from Libya, the French military, concerned over his atrocities and the resulting political fallout, orchestrated Operation Barracuda in September 1979. This bloodless coup restored David Dacko to power and dissolved the Empire, reinstating the Central African Republic.
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Trial and Death: Bokassa went into exile in France. In a bizarre move, he voluntarily returned to the CAR in 1986, where he was immediately arrested. He was tried and, though acquitted of charges of cannibalism, was found guilty of murder and treason. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and later reduced, leading to his release in 1993. He died in Bangui in 1996.