CASES II: AFRICA

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)

Former French colony

Independence: 1960

Capital: Bangui

Landlocked country

5.4 million population

Resources: Diamond, gold, uranium

GDP per capita: $900

Human Development Index: 179th out of 187

Main Minerals
 Timeline
• 1880s-1960: French rule
• The country known as
UBANGI-SHARI (taking the
name from rivers)
* During the colonial rule: French
used a forced labor system which
met a great resistance, even
rebellion --due to work conditions,
1920: Ubangi-Shari became part of a
food shortage, famine French colonial federation called “French
Equatorial Africa”
 Timeline
• 1946: Barthelemy Boganda was
elected to the French National
Assembly.
• 1950: He returned to his country
and established MESAN
(=Mouvement pour l'évolution
sociale de l'Afrique noire/Movement
for the Social Evolution of Black
Africa); a pro-independence
nationalist party
De Gaulle and Boganda
• Boganda died in a plane crash
without seeing the formal
independence.
Timeline
• 1960: Formal independence.
• Establishment of the country as
Central African Republic.
• David Dacko, cousin of Boganda,
became the first president.
• 1962: Dacko sent leaders of
opposing parties to exile and life
imprisonment and established a
non-democratic one-party state
ruled by MESAN.
• 1964 (first elections): only one party,
only one candidate, 100% vote
Dacko
July 1960. Dacko and Bokassa behind
Timeline
• 1966: Coup by army commander Jean-
Bedel Bokassa, cousin of Dacko
• Early in 1965 Dacko humiliated Bokassa at
an official dinner in the presence of
foreign diplomats."Colonel Bokassa only
wants to collect medals, and he is too
stupid to pull off a coup d'etat."
• 1965-1979: Bokassa rule/dictatorship
• 1979: coup against Bokassa by the
French; Dacko returns
• 1981: coup against Dacko by general
Andre Kolingba
• 1981-1993: military rule under Kolingba
• After 10 years of democracy, civil wars.
Continuing today.
Bokassa
1 January 1966 Coup
• Background of the coup: Dacko
government’s economic
problems. In reaction: Dacko
received Chinese assistance.
• 1)Bokassa was certain that he
could fix the country’s problems.
• 2)Bokassa did not want the
communist influence in CAR.
• 3) He had personal ambitions of
power.
Jean-Bedel Bokassa (1921-1996)
• His father was killed in the village square
by the French; his mother committed
suicide.
• He took the name “Bedel” from a French
grammar book author
• Enlisted in the Free French Army; fought
against Nazi collaborator Vichy
government; in Africa, in France and
Germany.
• Later sent to Saigon, Vietnam for French-
Indochinese wars. Received high medals.
• In 1962, he joined the CAR army. He was a
colonel when he intervened in 1 January
1966.
Bokassa, coup explanation
The Coup and immediate aftermath
• Put the president into prison, then
exile.
• The presidential guard was put into
prison. About 64 killed.
• Director of Dacko’s security service,
Prosper Mounoumbaye, escaped,
captured and brought before
Bokassa. He was beaten and tortured
to death.
• Commander of Gendarmerie, Jean
Izamo, was also brutalized to death
in prison.
• Still, relatively bloodless. 8 killed on the
night of the coup.
• Bokassa defended the coup by saying it
was a resistance against Chinese
communists.
• Abolished the Parliament. He said
elections will be held “later”
• until corruption is resolved
• until the Chinese threat is over
• until the economy gets back to normal
• In couple of months, France recognized
Bokassa and received him in a state
visit.
Rule by decree: “Fight against corruption and
idleness”
• Fight against corruption: • A decree of the Revolutionary
Council: All men and women
• A decree in January 1966: Banned between the ages of eighteen to
government ministers and senior civil fifty-five to provide proof that
servants from places of "public pleasure"
such as dance halls and bars. they were working for a living.
• Attendance at cinemas was permitted, • Idleness would henceforth be
but only in the line of duty. punished by fines or
imprisonment.
• Mayor of the capital city and his
secretary-general banished/sürgün to
countryside for not following these
orders.
“Reforms”
• Begging was banned.
• Live music including tom-tom
playing was allowed only at night
and on weekends
• “Morality brigade” was formed
in Bangui to keep a vigilant eye
on bars and dance halls
• Theft/hırsızlık =cutting of ear
with scissors and knives
• Polygamy abolished [Bokassa
had many wives and even more
mistresses himself and more
than 100 children! 2 Vietnamese
children, as well]
• Female circumcision prohibited
• Dowry/çeyiz prohibited
• Parents punished if they blocked
children from schooling
a part of Bokassa’s family
Cult of Personality
• He promoted himself to general.
• In October 1966, he admitted his
intention of remaining indefinitely
as the "nation's guide."
• "I am everywhere and nowhere. I
see nothing yet I see all. I listen to
nothing and hear everything. Such
is the role of a head of state."
• His image began to appear on
office walls, billboards, T-shirts,
and the covers of school exercise
books.
• Public buildings and streets were
renamed in his honour.
t-shirts and dresseswith Bokassa’s image
Violence
• His right-hand man in the coup, Alexandre
Banza, serving as minister of finance and
of state, criticized Bokassa’s spending
habits and love of extravaganza.
• He plotted a coup against Bokassa.
Bokassa was informed.
• He was brought to Bokassa. Arms broken.
Bokassa himself almost killed him by
beating him with his walking stick.
• For appearance sake, he was taken to a Banza
military court and given a death penalty. A
firing squad executed him.
• Buried in an unmarked grave.
Punishment of Theft
Special punishments
• He had a private zoo.
• A crocodile pond and a place for
lions.
• Sometimes victims were fed
alive to animals there.
Cannibalism?
• Bokassa rumored to be a
cannibal
• A special fridge in his palace told
to have mounds of human flesh
• Rumor: He served human flesh
in state dinners to foreign guests
in rich banquets.
• A person claiming to be imperial
cook said he witnessed Bokassa
eat human flesh. Bokassa denied
seeing that person.
• The truth of cannibalism never
established.
• Bokassa acquitted of charges of
cannibalism.
Ngaragba Prison
• Especially fearful place among the
public, known as “the devil’s hole”
• Political detainees held here.
• Cells as small as 2mX3m for 3 or 4
people
• Some cells exposed to extreme
heat
• “Safari” was the name of special
cell for those who would be
executed.
Ngaragba Prison
• Arrival: all prisoners’ heads
shaved.
• Stripped. Given prison clothing.
• A wealthy prisoner can buy
privileges and receive lighter
beating
• Prisoners who were guilty of
murder of women: Left to rot in
their cells.
• 1971 Mothers’ Day: Bokassa ordered the
execution of all who committed rape and
all who killed women.
• Released all female prisoners (among
non-political prisoners).
• Political prisoners: Regular beating,
torture, starvation, finally firing squad.
• Psychological torture: Firing squad works
at 8 pm. The waiting was terrible without
knowing who’d be killed.
• Prisoners had NO rights.
• Survival possible. Bokassa can release
anyone any minute.
Directors of Ngaragba
• Otto Sacher (orig. from Prague),
adventurer, soldier in Foreign
Legion.
• He trained guards in torture
techniques.
• Director until 1971. Then he got
arrested after the escape of one.
Directors of Ngaragba
• Eduard Ngbongo
• replaced Sacher.
• 1972: Sacher pardoned by
Bokassa and made an
assistant/advisor to Ngbongo
• There was a special security
within the prison: “The Third
Company”, responsible for prison
security and work arrangements
of prisons; in addition to torture
• More than 60 thieves held without
ears (=cut off)
• Ears of 12 thieves cut off in front of
Bokassa
• Sometimes Bokassa comes and
orders beating to death in front of
him; survivors shown to the public
• ---Bokassa stopped this
punishment after UN Secretary
General Kurt Waldheim protested
it.
Style of rule
• Shows of power, grandeur
• Expensive parties, champagne,
dancing
• Extravaganza and luxury
• A university named after himself
• He held ministries himself in an
increasing fashion:
• At the beginning, Interior, Justice,
National Defense. 1968:
Information. 1970: Agriculture,
Health, Population. 1971: Civil
and Military Aviation. 1973:
Public Service and Social Security
• When he was abroad,
government functions did not
work.
his chateau in Paris
Rule by a general climate of uncertainty
• No one was sure what is • Bokassa surrounded by lackeys
permitted and what is not. and sychophants (yağcı ve
• Decrees read over radio; and dalkavuk)
spread through rumor, gossip,
hearsay
• No concept of law or human
rights could survive.
• In arbitrary rule, he was similar
to Papa Doc of Haiti.
Titles of Bokassa
• 1972: President for Life of the • He named himself Emperor and
Republic changed the country’s name to
• 1974: Seven-star Field-Marshal Central African Empire (1977).
of the Republic • He would be known as Bokassa I.
• He had special titles:
Best farmer
Best engineer
Best football player
Mobutu and Bokassa
 He wanted to replicate his favorite
leader Napoleon’s emperorship
ceremony

from the coronation ceremony, 1977

in the Bokassa stadium, next to Bokassa

university, which was in Bokassa Avenue
the throne and coronation carriage with 8
white horses from Belgium specially designed
by a French artist. The throne weighed 2 tons,
all gold-plated, $2,5 million
 60 new Mercedes Benz ordered from Germany
for the top guests

French chefs flown in

25000 bottles of champagne

Total: 20 million dollars =

used up all the annual aid budget for CAR;
equal to 1/3 of state budget

5 million dollar jewellery

“Imperial March”/”Marche du Sacre de l’Empereur Bokassa" composed by a
French composer Olivier Brice for Bokassa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtkVWGjz07M

a coronation ode by a poet

 French assistance to Bokassa
• Dependence of French
assistance: in return for minerals

French president Valeri Giscard d’Estaing was very

friendly. Went hunting together. Enjoyed dining with
Bokassa. Bokassa gave him special diamonds as
present. Also selling uranium to France.
French president had a hotel and hunting lodge
in Central African Republic
 Bokassa becomes “Salahaddin Ahmed
Bokassa”
• In 1976, he received promise of
financial aid from Libyan dictator
Muammar Gaddafi.

• In order to secure the aid, Bokassa

converted to Islam and changed his
name to Salahaddin Ahmed
Bokassa.
• When the aid did not come, he
converted back to Christianity!
• Reportedly, Bokassa didn’t like the
alcohol prohibition in Islam anyway!
 1979: End of Pahlavi regime in
Iran, end of Pol Pot in

The End of Bokassa’s Rule: 1979 Cambodia, end of dictatorships

in Equatorial Guinea and
Nicaragua, Uganda
• School children protest in April 1979.
• The reason: Children were required to buy and wear special uniforms
(made by one of Bokassa’s wives’ factory), that had the picture of
Bokassa on them. In addition, the uniforms were expensive for
parents.
• Bokassa reacted very harshly to the protest.
• Children were taken to Ngaragba Prison. 180 children taken, 18 to 100
children killed in one night. Number impossible to ascertain.
• Shot, clubbed to deathed, stabbed by bayonets, 20 children killed in a small
cell from lack of oxygen
The French immediately cut aid and moved to remove Bokassa from power (“Operation Barracuda”)
Bokassa was in a state visit in Libya. French special troops and soldiers overthrew Bokassa and replaced him
with Dacko who was kept in isolation punishment.
David Dacko’s first statement
• "This is David Dacko speaking ... The regime of Bokassa I has
disintegrated. Its final act was the massacre of a hundred children
bringing universal condemnation and ultimately bringing the regime
down. For fourteen years the country has been exploited by the man
who proclaimed himself emperor and dragged our image in the mud
by his excesses and delusions of grandeur."
Ransacking of Bokassa’s wealth
• French troops took all the wealth of Bokassa from his villas. Diamonds, gold,
jewellery all taken to France [French authorities still reject talking about the
whereabouts of this treasure]
• French troops found two dead bodies in a freezer hanging upside down--
supposedly ready for cutting and cooking! One was a math teacher (arms,
one leg, head missing), the other was a 16 year old boy.
• Soldiers allegedly found bones that belonged to 30 people at the bottom of a
crocodile pond.
• After soldiers, civilians attacked the palaces, villas.
• President Dacko said Bokassa ate human flesh and even served it to foreign
diplomats.
one of the wives’ swimming pool after looting
Bokassa after the overthrowal
• He lived 4 years in Ivory Coast.
• Then moved to France to live in his chateau. France gave him “political
asylum” due to his service to France in several wars.

• He was tried in absentia in 1980 for murder of rivals.

• He returned to his country in 1986 willingly to be tried. Arrested and
charged by murder, treason, assault, battery, embezzlement, illegal use
of property, and cannibalism.
• He was the first head of state tried by a jury in Africa after the end of
colonization.
Trial
• Surviving children testified that Bokassa personally came to the prison in
1979 when they got arrested and beat 5 children to death personally with his
walking stick. [not verified by others]

• Found guilty of all charges except cannibalism.

• He was sentenced to death.
• But the new ruler commuted/reduced the sentence to life imprisonment in
solitary; then reduced it further to 20 years. Bokassa was released in 1993,
when a general amnesty declared after the return to democracy. So he stayed
only 7 years in prison!
• He lived until 1996, and died of natural reasons that year.
photos from trial, 1986
Bokassa’s abandoned throne --all
gold removed, of course.

Found in a junkyard outside the

capital city.