Jean-Bédel Bokassa Part 3: A Coronation for the Ages

Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on. Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE-certified master technicians. And if you need help... we could recommend to shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today. O, O, O, O'Reilly Auto Parts.

It's October the 23rd, 1986. In the dim light of the early morning, a plane swoops down to land at Bangui Airport in the Central African Republic. With a couple of quick bumps, the aircraft comes to a halt on the runway. On board, passengers unfasten their seatbelts, gather their belongings, and shift their way towards the exit.

Among them is a man in his sixties. Ostensibly, he is unremarkable. Inconspicuous, in a dark suit, the brim of his hat shielding his eyes from view. The Central African Republic is his homeland. Though it's been many years since he was last here Once off the plane the passengers traipse inside the terminal building there they wait to reclaim their luggage

The man in the hat glances around him, scanning the faces of his fellow travelers. As he does so, he notices several pairs of eyes staring directly back at him. Despite his low-key demeanor, he's attracting attention. But then how could he not? He is the most famous and infamous person in the short troubled history of this country. More and more people in the crowd recognize who he is. Then somebody says it aloud. It's Bokassa. No one can quite believe it.

Jombe del Bocasa, the man who once ruled this land, hasn't set foot inside the CAR for seven years, having been turfed out by a coup. Ever since... He's been living abroad in luxurious but embittered exile. In his absence, Bokassa has been found guilty of heinous crimes against his own people, for which he faces the death penalty. For that reason, it's been assumed he would never dare to return. But here he is, unmistakably. A lone, aging man stood in an airport, waiting for his suitcase.

Technically, he's public enemy number one, the most notorious criminal in the nation's history. Yet, as his identity is revealed, something extraordinary happens. The people around him begin to shout his name. Not in anger, but in joy. He's come home, they say. The boss is back. Bokassa beams with delight. It's vindication, proof of what he's always thought. The people love him, and it's his destiny to rule over them.

Maybe the impossible is within his reach. The chance to defeat his enemies and reclaim his throne. Jean Bedelbocasa, the once and future emperor. From the Noiser Podcast Network, this is the final part of the Bukasa story. And this is Real Dictatus.

Let's wind the clocks back. A decade. At the end of our last episode, we left Bokassa in December 1976, just after the stunning announcement that he's turning the Central African Republic... into the central African empire now a year on he's keen to emulate his hero Napoleon Bonaparte and elevate himself to the status of emperor

Despite his nation's ailing economy, Bokassa envisions an expensive, elaborate ceremony in the CAR's capital city. His preference is to stage it at Bangui's own Notre Dame Cathedral. and for it to be officiated by Pope Paul VI. The Vatican quickly rebuffs them. It will have to be Plan B, the city's multi-purpose sports stadium.

The man chosen to bring the ceremony to life is French sculptor Olivier Breeze. Breeze builds a special workshop near his home in Normandy, where thirty craftsmen execute his design for an enormous throne. They also set about constructing a carriage and the appropriate accoutrement. He purchases an antique coach in Nice and refurbishes it with velvet, gold trim and eagle symbols.

He finds eight elegant white horses in Belgium to pull it, as well as a few dozen Normandy greys with the imperial escort. To ensure everything goes to plan, A troop of Central African soldiers spend the summer in the countryside of northern France, learning equestrian skills. On visits to Bangui, Breeze busies himself decorating the stadium.

Tapestries, curtains and banners in the national colours. Blue, white, green, yellow and red. The costs mount at breakneck speed. Swathes of the country may be in terrible poverty. But Bokassa needs a coronation fit for an emperor. Damn the expense. For the coronation to succeed and be as... impressive as Bokassa wanted, relied on many items that he couldn't find in the Central Africa of Bokrik.

And some of these items, he had to import them literally from France. Dr. Louisa Lombard. The coronation was an amazing blend of... all the kind of regal symbolism and pageantry that Bokasa saw as important and worthy. And it involved...

white horses. You know, this is a kind of regal imagery that we would maybe associate with Europe and European royalty. And similarly, some of these capes that included ermine and furs, which are definitely not appropriate to the climate of the Central African Republic, but are part of the kind of image that I think Bokasa had of what a true leader looks like.

The heat is oppressive in Bangui, as guests begin to descend on the empire for the occasion. Unprepared for the humidity, two of the white horses from Europe keel over and die before the coronation.

The big day arrives on December 4th, 1977. Early in the morning, 60 brand new Mercedes-Benz limousines ferry guests along the Bangui Boulevard to the coronation venue. By half-past eight, all 4,000 are in situ, entertained by tinny music piped into the sports stadium over a tannoy system. On a raised platform at one end of the stadium, Before a sea of blazing red curtains stands the throne designed by Breeze. It's quite the sight. A velvet seat surrounded by a giant golden eagle.

its shining wings three and a half meters wide. To the right is a slightly smaller throne reserved for Percussa's wife, soon to be the Empress Catherine. On its left is a stool of gold-trimmed crimson velvet for the crown prince, Bucasse's four-year-old son, Jean Bédel, Jr. Just after 10 a.m., a marching band is heard in the distance.

playing a specially composed imperial march. Two guards dressed in Napoleonic military uniforms bearing the national flag and imperial standard make their way up the carpeted aisle. They are followed by the preschool heir apparent, Prince Jean Bedel, in a white naval uniform. The boy's visored cap is far too big for his little head, slipping this way and that.

He looks around, bemused. Next is the Empress Catherine in her shimmering dress of gold lame, dotted with 935,000 sequins, sporting a gold laurel wreath on her head. Then the emperor himself strides into the stadium. He wears an ankle-length toga-style garment, decorated with hundreds of thousands of grey and white pearls. There are pearls on his slippers as well.

On his hands, white antelope skin gloves, and, like Catherine, a golden laurel wreath rests on his head. Two of his favourite medals, proudly displayed on his chest, glint in the rising sun. A sword is then handed to him, as is a scepter encrusted with gemstones. A whopping thirty-foot-long velvet and ermine mantle is placed, with some difficulty, around his shoulders.

Finally, Bokassa removes his wreath and plants a heavy gold crown on his own head. A 21-gun salute rattles the windows of the stadium. and the audience applauds politely there is no evident enthusiasm nor spontaneous outbursts of vive l'empereur as picasa might have hoped

When the guests file out of the stadium, an orchestra entertains them not with traditional local music, but like cucaracha and songs from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. More than anything. The coronation has been an exercise in opulence and excess. The throne and golden eagle atop it cost two and a half million dollars. The emperor's costume, designed by the 200-year-old firm which had embroidered Napoleon's uniforms, comes to $145,000. The total jewellery bill is $5 million.

More than 240 tons of food and drink are flown in from Europe for the post-coronation banquet at the Presidential Palace. 40,000 bottles of wine. plus caviar, crayfish, sturgeon, antelope, and foie gras. Shiva's Regal Whiskey, Bokassa's favourite, is in plentiful supply. He was just projecting power. He was projecting obedience. He was projecting strength. And he was also putting the country.

On the map for his coronation, people in Bangui were kind of in awe of what was in front of them, but they couldn't really be against what was happening. It's estimated that the total cost of the coronation comes in somewhere in the region of $25 million. A staggering outlay, considering that the majority of the Empire's citizens survive on less than $1 a day.

But, intriguingly, it's actually France who pays for most of it. Keen to ensure that Bokassa cuts ties with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and keen to secure Central African uranium development. deposits for itself. South Korea, desperate for diplomatic support in its bitter rivalry with the communists to the north, sends a $50,000 cash donation. The Empire's private companies are all pressured to make appropriate donations, knowing that their future depends on it.

International press reports are bemused, sarcastic, or disapproving. Le Monde describes a tragicomic, surrealist spectacle, a caricature of French colonization and history. In London, the Sunday Times awards Bokassa an Oscar for bad taste. It's no different in Africa. Kenya's Sunday Nation calls the coronation Bokassa's clowning glory.

But for all the undeniable oddness and egocentrism, the coronation can also be seen as a response to the immense challenges that Central Africans face in a post-colonial world. It's actually kind of a shame that the view that we have of the event is almost entirely French. It was one of these few moments where Central Africans... got to shine on the international scene but not necessarily for all the good reasons because it was also obvious that this country was

trying to, I guess, begin its development, but nothing that substantial to show for it. So the coronation was kind of covering it up. kind of masquerading this. This very strange ceremony does represent some of the dilemmas and difficulties. of nation building with almost no material to build a nation with and therefore over relying on symbols because you lack the material means to build.

the institutions that comprise modern countries. Monarchical or imperial power is a kind of shortcut to confirming their power. In a way, it's no more fanciful. to pronounce yourself the Emperor of Central African Republic than it is to pronounce yourself the elected head of Central African Republic. In a way, they're both rather fanciful ideas in the end because the country has a short...

unstable history, so there's very little more solid to rely on. Despite invitations, almost no foreign leaders attend the event. The only aristocrat to accept... is Prince Emmanuel of Liechtenstein. The Prime Minister of Mauritius is the most prominent politician who attends. Even French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the Emperor's hunting body, gives the coronation a miss.

This episode is sponsored by Rocket Money. Managing your finances takes time. Canceling old subscriptions, tracking expenses, and sticking to a budget. Luckily, Rocket Money does the heavy lifting for you. automatically finding you ways to save and simplifying the process. Less stress, more free time, and a clearer path towards financial freedom, all in one app. Rocket Money is a personal finance app.

that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. And if you've got a goal you'd like to save for, Rocket Money can analyse your accounts to find the best time each month to put extra money aside. Rocket Money has saved users over $2.5 billion, including over $880 million in cancelled subscriptions alone.

Their 10 million members save up to $740 a year when they use all of the app's premium features. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. go to rocketmoney.com slash dictators today that's rocketmoney.com slash dictators rocketmoney.com the holidays mean more travel more shopping, more time online, and more personal info in more places that could expose you more to identity theft. But LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second.

If your identity is stolen, our US-based restoration specialists will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Don't face drained accounts, fraudulent loans, or financial losses alone. Get more holiday fun and less holiday worry with LifeLock. Save up to 40% your first year.

Visit lifelock.com slash podcast. Terms apply. Nevertheless, Jean-Bédel Bocasa, or His Imperial Majesty Bocasa I, Apostle of Peace and Servant of Jesus Christ, Emperor Marshal of Central Africa, as he is now known, is buoyant. He claims that creating an imperial monarchy will help Central Africa stand out from the rest of the continent.

but the shift from republic to empire makes little difference to most central Africans struggling to make ends meet. Indeed, the imperial economy is in rapid decline. Diamond, coffee and cotton production is falling precipitously, and the national debt stands at around $280 million, about five years of national revenue. Spiralling inflation is hitting incomes.

and several servants have not been paid for months. The financial consequences of his economic mismanagement started to be felt in these very essential pocketbook ways by many, many Central Africans, and particularly by young Central Africans who had perhaps come up in the era that... he had created of having a sense that there was some future for them in the country. People did not have much scope for protest.

One of the things that he did was build up the military and kind of security services, particularly the ones who were his close guard. And protest was not part of the picture of this beautiful Central African dream that he was. trying to build. The spectacle of the coronation might suggest that Macassar's grip on power is secure. Yet, there are those who challenge his supremacy, not figures within the military or any established political faction.

but school children. Over more than a decade in power, Pukasa has sponsored the establishment of a number of secondary schools and founded the country's first university in Bangi. Throughout the 1970s, There have been only occasional strikes and uprisings among the student body. But in 1977, the emperor expresses dissatisfaction with the nation's secondary school exam results.

which he attributes to laziness and a lack of discipline. His solution is to introduce a universal school uniform. During visits to China and other communist states, Bukhasa has been impressed by the discipline and attire of parading schoolchildren, something which he believes holds the key to raising standards in Central African education.

So, on February 2nd, 1978, the Education Ministry makes a sudden announcement. As of October 1st, uniforms will be required for all primary and secondary students in the Empire. Girls are to wear navy dresses and boys dark blue trousers with light blue short-sleeved shirts. Those failing to abide by the new dress code will be excluded from class.

The announcement neglects to mention that the uniforms will be manufactured by a company run by one of Bokassa's wives, and they will be sold in shops belonging to the emperor himself. Thus, Picasso will reform the school system and turn a profit at the same time. For many Central Africans, the scheme is intolerable. During the 1970s, as the Central African economy was dwindling, Bokasa was living more and more lavishly, and he was passing on the costs to Central Africans.

Most Central Africans, both then and now, feed themselves to a large extent from crops that they grow themselves. So in that respect, they have a lot of challenges to deal with, but rising prices are a little bit less important. because they're not buying

all of their food, some of it they are growing at least. But when it comes to things like school fees and school uniforms, those are costs that all Central Africans who dream of a future for their children, well, they're going to have to pay those schools. fees and going to have to pay for those school uniforms. And the prices of these school uniforms became exorbitant during this time. Piles of uniforms lie unpurchased in Bokassa's shops.

When the schools reopen for a new term, only a small minority wear the attire decreed by their emperor. Nothing much happens until a couple of months later in January 1979.

when secondary schools in Bangui suddenly refuse admission to students who are not in uniform. The protests begin. School pupils are joined by university students, and a mass demonstration is arranged. On the 19th of January 1979, 3,000 students of all ages gather at the university in Bangui. Megaphones blare and chanted slogans fill the air. At 10am the demonstrators arrive at the presidential palace, lining up face to face with a menacing cordon of soldiers. Things get tense.

The inexperienced guards begin to break up the demonstration with batons. Students scatter out into the city, smashing the windows of offices and shops, including the emperor's clothing store. By 11.30am, the police and military have restored order downtown, but the suburbs are a different story. There, students are joined by disaffected workers. The atmosphere is febrile. Cars are overturned.

and tree trunks laid out as barricades. At his palace in Berengo, Bokassa is incensed. He sends his elite imperial guard into action. airlifting 135 men of the capital, heavily armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles. The Emperor himself dons combat gear and drives to the front line to take command.

At midnight, Bukasa addresses the nation on the radio, calling for the return of peace. But it's not until the following afternoon that Bangi is back under control. A day later, the school uniform regulation... is quietly dropped the government admits that six people have died and 60 injured in the fighting it's likely those numbers are far higher crucially

the French government still backs Bokassa. But among the people, the bloody reprisals are not easily forgotten. When schools and colleges reopen, many teachers and professors refuse to attend.

leading to further strikes, arrests and boycotts. Pacing the marble halls of his imperial court, Bokassa resolves to act decisively. Arrests will be carried out, examples made. punishments administered, a strongman's response. A dragnet is pulled through the local schools, and by the morning of April the 18th, the police stations of Bangui are stuffed with prisoners.

Many are sent to the feared Ngaragba prison. Ngaragba is like the prison in the Central African Republic, and it continues to be a place that... elicits a shutter because it is terribly under-resourced. decrepit. It was built for about 350 prisoners and has frequently throughout its history housed more than 2,000. So it's really quite a bleak place. It's April the 18th, 1979. Eighteen-year-old student Simon Judy is being pushed up the concrete steps in one of the wings of Mungaragba.

Earlier today he was swept up by the Imperial Guard along with dozens of others. The students were stripped naked, forced to lie on the ground and beaten by the guards. Now, Simon and around 40 other detainees are crammed into a tiny windowless cell. There's barely any room to move. Some are struggling to breathe. According to Simon,

At around 10 p.m., a familiar gruff voice echoes down the corridor. It's Emperor Bokassa himself, and he's in a rare fury. He growls at the terrified youths. Now I will teach you a lesson. The cell's steel door is forced open. Simon, whose arm is already broken, watches on in horror as Picasso begins thrashing the students in front of him with his ivory-encrusted cane.

The Emperor kills several young boys by striking them viciously on the back of the skull. Simon can do no more than lay still, playing dead. Finally, Bokassa leaves. Simon listens. his heart pounding, the screams emanate from the other cells down the corridor. At 5.30 in the morning, when the cell doors are opened, many of the students are dead.

suffocated in the crush or succumbing to the beatings. The remaining inmates at the prison load the bodies onto a truck to be taken away for secret burial.

Throughout the morning, parents turn up at the presidential palace, demanding to know the whereabouts of their children. But government representatives feign ignorance. In the wake of the protests and violence... Emperor Bokassa declares a national day of peace. But reports of the Ngaragba massacre fly around the world. On May the 14th, Amnesty International releases a report.

which includes sickening testimonies of the abuses. It's particularly embarrassing to Bucasa's champion, French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Under pressure from France, Bucasa agrees to cooperate fully. with a five-nation African commission that is set up to ascertain the truth. The investigators find terror to be widespread in the empire. Often they must interview witnesses secretly in bars and back streets.

beyond the reach of Bokasa's agents. There were quite a lot of stories of Bokasa being personally involved in the physical punishment of people who were being held. The most lurid of these involved charges like cannibalism, that he had a refrigerator or freezer that was full of human flesh from the people he had executed. That he had crocodiles that were at the ready to dispose of the bodies of people who he had killed or who he wanted to get rid of. The Emperor is beset by problems.

The repression of his regime is under increasing scrutiny. The coffers are empty, and his subjects are far from supportive. Then, the defections begin. Because his cousin, David Darko, whom he ousted as president in his coup d'état, and who served as a reluctant advisor since the end of 1976, escapes to France. The empire's ambassador in Paris resigns.

citing Bokassar's personal involvement in the violence at Nguragba. The French government sent word that the game is up. The forthcoming report will implicate him directly in the massacre.

It's time for the emperor to step aside. An indignant Picasso responds that Central African affairs are no longer controlled by foreign powers. He won't be going anywhere. this whole France-African dynamic where they could say, oh, Central African Republic is part of our former colony where we still exercise power and control. We were starting seeing cracks in that system. The French, I think, realized that they couldn't predict the next move of Bokassa.

Bocasa is not someone that we think we can entirely control. Two weeks later, the 133-page report is released. The Commission has managed to gather photographs, testimonies, death certificates. and a list of those killed by the security forces. It estimates that at least 150 people of all ages die in the January Troubles. Three witnesses say Bokassa personally joined in the maiming and killing at Angharagba in April. According to the report, of the 250 students detained, between 50 and 200 died.

Bokassa is now a serious liability to President Giscard. The French media label the emperor as the butcher of Bangui, pressurizing their government to withdraw support. With Bokassa refusing to leave power voluntarily, The French begin to plot his overthrow. Giscard and his advisors decide to reinstall the former president, David Daco, now exiled in France. The trouble is...

Daco is weak, nervous, and in poor health. Even as president, he never inspired confidence as a leader. But French officials visit him regularly to flatter him into agreeing to come to his country's aid. and eventually he concedes. Dako says he wasn't too sure if he would go back to power, but at the same time he did not want Bokasa to continue on. his trajectory. So something needed to be done. It's not just French colonialism, it's also a little bit of a sense of responsibility as well.

Now, was this also beneficial to them as they saw it? Well, yes, but they sort of saw it more as a doubly beneficial kind of move to remove Bokasa from power and put in place someone who would be more reasonable. which also meant somebody who would be more amenable to taking direction and advice from the French.

Hi, I'm Andy Staples from Andy and Ari on three and another five-star quarterback just entered the transfer portal. That's what college football is now a nonstop adventure and we cover it every day. at Andy and Arianne3, whether it's the transfer portal, the college football playoff, the coaching carousel, you name it. And guess what? It doesn't stop even when the season ends.

Join us every day, Monday through Friday. New episodes drop at 3 p.m. wherever you get your podcasts. This December on the Noiser Podcast Network, it's a busy month with the launch of a brand new show. Join Sir David Suchet for Charles Dickens' Ghost Stories, a selection of Dickens' most spine-tingling tales. In Jane Austen's stories, Pride and Prejudice concludes, when all's said and done, will pride get in the way of true love?

Short History of takes us onto the historic canals of Venice and beyond the courtrooms of the Nuremberg Trials. On Real Survival Stories, we'll follow an emergency chopper as it goes down in the Labrador Sea and traverse the mountain bike trails of Patagonia. In Sherlock Holmes' short stories, Holmes unpicks a mysterious string of sculpture-related crimes in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons. And Real Dictators returns with the extraordinary story of Jean Bédel Bocassa.

Get all of these shows and more early and ad-free on Noiser Plus. And if you're still on the hunt for Christmas presents, then why not grab a copy of A Short History of Ancient Rome, available in all good bookshops.

Darko is moved into an apartment just off the Champs-Elysees and told to await further instructions. Then an opportunity presents itself. In September, Bokassa flies to Libya for talks with his old pal, Colonel Gaddafi. With the Emperor away from Central Africa, it's the perfect time to launch Operation Barracuda, the overthrow of Bokassa.

Events unfold rapidly. In Paris, a grey Citroen pulls up opposite Daco's apartment, and an agent steps out of the vehicle. A trembling Daco is taken to a nearby airbase. and flown down to the Spanish border, where two aeroplanes are ready for take-off. Already on board are France's finest special operations forces. The paratroopers play cards and study maps of Bangui, as Daco, ashen-faced, sits silently in a corner of the cockpit. The planes touch down at Bangui Airport in the dead of night.

Minutes later, the paratroopers are in the terminal building. The astonished nightguards put up no resistance. With the airport secured, the French special forces climb into armoured vehicles and head out into the night. to discreetly occupy strategic locations across the city. Darko remains at the airport, fidgeting and asking questions about the progress of the mission. His mind does ignore him.

Finally, word comes through that the Central African soldiers have surrendered. Bangi has been taken. Tarko is driven to the radio station. At ten minutes to midnight, he announces that the rain of... Bokassa is over. In less than an hour, the Central African Empire has fallen without a shot fired in its defense. At 2.30am, a bleary-eyed Bokassa is roused in his Libyan hotel room. He's informed about reports of a coup in Bangui, supported by the French. Flabbergasted.

Bakhasa asks to see Gaddafi, but the Libyan leader can't be reached. The ousted emperor mulls his options. He cannot possibly return to Bangi. There's only one thing for it.

He must go to France and hole up in one of his several chateaux. The irony is deep and strange. Bokassa is fleeing to the old colonial power, in whose army he served for decades. and who propped up his regime yet it is france that is also now responsible for his downfall although everything has gone to plan so far for the french

Bokassa's sudden arrival in their airspace is a spanner in the works. As the Imperial plane approaches Orly Airport, permission to land is denied. The pilot heads for another airfield. But the message is the same there, too. Dismayed, Bokassa threatens air traffic controllers that he will land the jet on a highway. Several panicked phone calls later. Permission to land is granted.

at Ebru military base west of Paris. Armed soldiers immediately surround the aircraft. Nobody can disembark. The mood is tense. President Giscard is desperate not to accept his former friend in France. Bocasa is too much of a liability. French diplomatic staff begin to offer the unwanted guest around. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico.

and several African countries are approached, but all refuse. Finally, there's a taker. President Felix Ufwetbwani of the Ivory Coast has agreed to take in the former emperor. as an act of quote christian charity Once Bokasa was removed, his stock was pretty low, but he was not completely without friends. And I think other African leaders, even those who thought that he had gone too far, felt like...

No, they have to look out for their own at least a little bit, and that was part of why he was able to stay in Ivory Coast. By midday, Bokassa is settling into his new home.

a spacious mansion overlooking the wealthiest suburb of the Ivory Coast's capital city, Abidjan. Back in Bangi. Okasa's empire is being stripped for parts. Gangs of youth roam the city, jubilantly tearing down the numerous statues of the emperor. They find the imperial throne. and rip out its velvet upholstery. The imperial carriage is pulled through the streets, locals kicking it as it passes. The carriage ends up twisted and broken in a residential district.

becoming a curious climbing frame for local children. Before long, the only real reminders of the imperial age are the three triumphal arches constructed for the coronation. Most foreigners leave Bangui as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, the French forces remain in the CAR to support the restored DACO government. But not before they've taken a look around for themselves.

Four Puma helicopters fly a squadron of curious paratroopers to Berengo. They stroll around the deserted palace, taking away the coronation paraphernalia as well as cash, diamonds and jewellery. They also removed a dossier of 40 letters from President Giscard. At another imperial residence, they discovered that Bokassa has transformed one room into a personal museum.

featuring souvenirs of his military career and trips abroad. While all this is happening, a rumor spreads that during their ransacking, the French have discovered two bodies. trussed up in a walk-in freezer apparently awaiting the attentions of the imperial cook it's also alleged that human bones have been found at the bottom of a pond the remains of enemies whom Percussa fed to the crocodiles. For many, these outlandish claims are hard to swallow, and yet still...

The cannibalism allegations quickly find their way into the international press, much to Bokassa's fury. The cannibalism charges were so sensational that lots of people... talked about it and still in some circle talk about it but it was never proven so i wouldn't give much steam to that rumor or stereotype but it kind of helped him being seen right as this kind of brutal person during his power

Exiled in Abidjan, Bukasa largely remains indoors, wallowing in depression and despair at the sudden loss of everything dear to him. Not that he is totally bereft of other comforts. Free of charge, his meals are wheeled over to his villa each day from a nearby hotel. He's brought steak, fried potatoes, camembert and beaujolais, some of his favourites.

Unable to make withdrawals from his European bank accounts, he lives on his monthly pension of 6,000 francs from the French army. Bokassa broods over his betrayal by Giscard. The French president continues to distance himself from the former emperor. But in October 1979, reports emerge that remind everyone how close Giscard once was to the fearsome dictator.

As well as their numerous hunting trips together, it's uncovered that Jiskar received an extravagant gift from Bokassa, $250,000 worth of diamonds. The president tries to dismiss the whole affair. But the revelations torpedo his reputation, playing a key role in him losing his re-election bid in 1981. Bokassa is delighted. Zhizka betrayed me, he tells those around him. but now we're on the same footing it draws a line under the complex relationship between these two powerful men

In many ways, a relationship that encapsulates the messy ties left between France and its former colony. The figure of Bacassa was used in different ways. In some circles in France, that was... a way of confirming that France should never have left and that what France was doing was right because those who followed the French rule were unable to run the country properly.

For other people, the very presence of Bokassa in power was demonstration that the French would not allow an educated and independence-minded elite to emerge and was actively trying to block that elite and were impeding the development of the country by placing inept leaders. and therefore blocking more competent leadership in these countries. For a time, Bokassa enjoys the public downfall of his erstwhile French ally. But what the former emperor doesn't know…

is that he is about to receive some bad news of his own. Now, it seems, there are fingers pointing at him. Back in the CAR, it's announced that Bokasa is to face a series of charges. lurid, damaging, horrific charges of murder, embezzlement and cannibalism. Bukasa is tried in absentia. Seemingly, he's eager to be there, to clear his name in court. But the Daco government won't allow it. With Bukasa back in the country and on the stand...

Chaos is sure to follow. The objective of this trial is not so much to hold the accused to account, but to banish him to the past. The trial begins on December 19th, 1980. in the very stadium where, just three years earlier, he'd crowned himself emperor. But if anything, this lacks the seriousness of that dubious occasion. There are no cross-examinations or lawyers for the defense.

The atmosphere is one of excitement, even celebration. The 50 witnesses are able to speak totally freely, to make sometimes wild accusations, without fear of reprisals or contradiction. Even the more credible witnesses are often vague or noncommittal. Very little documentary evidence is produced to back up their claims. The cannibalism charge results in the most extraordinary testimony of all.

An ageing military man called Philippe Linguisa claims to have been threatened by Bokassa with a revolver and ordered to cook a man's body from the freezer by stuffing it with rice and onions. He even claims that at one point, the body sat up and pointed at him, causing him to yelp and stuff it back in the oven. As spurious as such claims appear to be, These new charges of cannibalism capture the attention of those following the case, especially Western journalists.

Bukhasa is one of the leaders who, like many others, were vilified in the West for being caricatures of dictatorship. There's a real person and there's a real history here, but there's also... So many myths this is wrapped up with, like India, I mean in Uganda and like other prominent African post-colonial leaders. There's a sense of attraction and repulsion that the international audience has towards these figures.

Only four days into the trial, Bokassa is declared guilty and handed a death sentence. Still exiled in the Ivory Coast, he remains safe from execution. Yet the verdict and sentence infuriate him. In February 1981, Daco manages to pass a new constitution. modelled on that of France. Elections follow in March, which Ducker wins with just over half the vote. But he never really has the country on his side. Chaos is rife.

and law and order becomes the primary concern. Some even yearn for the early years of Bukasa. Early in the morning on September 1st

Several hundred soldiers under General Andrei Kolingba's command surround the presidential palace. They demand Daco resign, and he accepts all too readily. Power passes to Kolingba. In Abidjan, Bakasa has been moved to a larger house, where he lives with 15 of his children. For a man with a death sentence hanging over him, he moves around very freely. Through his nightclubbing...

He meets a young Ivorian partner, who duly gives birth to another daughter. But she soon leaves him, driven away by his erratic moods. Most evenings, Bokassa makes the rounds of his favourite bars. and usually finds someone to listen to his anecdotes. To fill the daytime hours, he walks his dogs and reads the papers. The afternoons are spent napping, readying himself for another night on the town.

A return to Bangi looks almost impossible for the time being. He has no passport, but he does have an Ivorian identity card. His occupation is listed as ex-emperor. Bokassa complains bitterly over what he calls his imprisonment in Abidjan. The Ivorian government isn't too happy about the situation either. They continually pressure France to relieve them of their unwanted and unwilling guests.

Until eventually, on December 4th, 1981, Bokassa is escorted aboard an Air Afrique flight to Paris. He takes up residence at Chateau Adricourt. where a heavy contingent of plain-clothes police officers man the gates. Inside, Picasso puts up huge portraits of the Empress Catherine and Jean Bédel, Jr.

A bust of Napoleon assumes pride of place in the main living room. But the emperor has few sources of funding available to him. As winter sets in, Bokassa fears that the cost of heating his chateau will be beyond him. In December, the water is cut off as he slips into debt. In January, the telephone goes dead. New year, new gear. Thousands of fresh active styles are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Save on top brands like Nike, Puma, and Free People. Starting at just $35.

rack has adidas there's always something new plus join the nordy club to shop new arrivals first unlock exclusive discounts and more great brands great prices that's why you rack This episode is brought to you by Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels and music are made for each other. They share a rhythm in the craft of making something timeless, while being a part of legendary nights, from backyard jams to sold-out arenas. Rather optimistically.

He appeals to the United Nations, Pope John Paul II, and even Amnesty International for help. He is roundly ignored. So Bacasa takes matters into his own hands. He sources a Central African passport made out in the name of Christian Soleil, a former international footballer. This in hand, he slips out of the chateau and is driven to Brussels Airport.

As he flies out, he's barely recognized, this deposed emperor sitting in tourist class. After a connection in Rome, Bocassa is well and truly on his way home. And at dawn, on October the 23rd, 1986, he peers down through dense fog over Bangui as the plane descends. After a long and painful seven-year absence, Bokassa sets foot in the Central African Republic once more. It's while he stood at the baggage carousel that his presence starts to create a hubbub.

Points and gasps are followed by cheers and chanting of his name. Bokassar is in his element, buoyed by the acclaim of the people, his people. But the triumph is short-lived. A squadron of French soldiers is hastily dispatched to the airport, where they find Bokassa still in the terminal building, chatting amiably to admirers.

The soldiers bundled him into a blue Peugeot to be taken to the Camp Daru. Finally, Bokassa's fate is announced, as is the right of anybody convicted in absentia in the CAR.

The former emperor shall stand trial once more, this time in person. There are 14 charges in total. Proceedings will be broadcast live over the radio so that the entire nation can listen. Hundreds of journalists arrive in Bangui to cover the trial. Things kick off at noon on November 26th, 1986. Bokassa appears before a packed courtroom, wearing a dark grey suit and striped silk tie. Most Central Africans have not seen their emperor since his exile. He has aged visibly.

his hair and beard now grey. The trial drags on for months. Day after day, the court hears gruesome details of repression and torture. Early in March, The trial turns to the most anticipated charge, particularly among European journalists, cannibalism. Many of the same witnesses who testified in 1980 take the stand again. Under sharp questioning from the defense, these stories now fall apart. That charge of cannibalism.

was actually made up by a French mercenary who had spent time in the Central African Republic at that time and so was known to be someone in the know. And when he got back to France, he made up all sorts of stories to tell to the French press. and these were stories about cannibalism and other depravities. Ultimately, Bokassa is found not guilty of cannibalism. But the other accusations against him cannot be dismissed.

On the 12th of June, he is found guilty of complicity in at least 20 murders. He is also guilty of embezzling around $10 million from the state. Then comes the sentence. Death by firing squad. To be carried out in Nguragba prison. In court, Bukasa retains his composure. A knowing smile plays on his lips. He'd expected nothing less. However, on February 29th, 1988,

He receives a reprieve from President Kulingba, who is opposed to capital punishment. Instead, Bokasa now faces life imprisonment with hard labour. In his cell at Camp de Rue, Picasso rarely receives visitors. He's allowed books and the occasional newspaper, but has no access to a radio. In his old age... Religion becomes a major comfort. He comes to consider himself an apostle of Christ. Towards the end of his life, he was born again as a Christian.

I do have this image in my head of him being in white clothes with a big cross and a Bible, kind of preaching the word of God. On September the 1st, 1993, President Kulingba decides to release thousands of political prisoners in a general amnesty. Among them is Bukasa, free from prison after around half a decade. Ultimately, he's sent to live under house arrest in a crumbling villa, where he's visited infrequently by a few relatives and acquaintances. His final few years are largely solitary.

On November 3, 1996, Bokassa, aged 75, dies of a heart attack. He is survived by 17 wives and probably hundreds of children. The former Empress Catherine lives quietly in the CAR, and Bokassa's offspring are spread the world over. In 1998, one is found homeless, wandering the streets of Paris. Another ends up in jail on firearms charges. At Barengo, Bukasa's former imperial court, his tomb is today covered in bathroom tiles and sheltered by six concrete pillars.

supporting a dented steel roof the resting places of many of his victims will never be known Since his downfall, the CAR has suffered economic turmoil and civil wars, leading to the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. Today, nearly three-quarters of Central Africans are in poverty.

in the Central African Republic now. Yes, there is a president. However, there are so many different actors in the country who all have taken on different kinds of governing authorities. You have... mercenaries organized by Russia.

You have a giant United Nations mission that's in the country. You have different diplomats who are in the country. You have Rwandan soldiers who are in the country. You have this whole mishmash of different actors who are all playing a pretty important role in Central Asia. African politics, and it's never really clear who actually is really in charge. And that's very different from the era of Bokasa, when he was able to stand forward as this kind of visionary leader.

A visionary leader whose effects and ability to build institutions turned out to be very small, but nonetheless. I think that's part of why he still holds a lot of appeal for Central Africans because he was the one time when they felt like they had a chance of sort of standing on their own feet and that possibility.

now seems kind of further away than ever. Despite Bokassa's catalogue of crimes, some older Central Africans look back on his dictatorship, or at least the early part of it, as the good old days. relatively speaking the most prosperous and secure period in the country's history. Much of the C.A.R.'s dilapidated infrastructure dates from that time, including the airport, many of the schools, the university.

and the television station. The period where he was in power could definitely be seen as one of the most stable and hopeful. Hopeful, right? The university, the Bangui, is still standing and it's a reminder all the time that without Vokassa, we wouldn't have a national university in this country. In 2010, C.A.R. President François Bozize attempts to rehabilitate Bokassa, describing him as someone who built the country, but we have destroyed what he built.

A fair description of a man who attempted to modernize his homeland in impossible circumstances? Or a blinkered, rose-tinted view of a tyrant who committed appalling crimes against his own people? Somehow, With Bokasa, all seems true at once. Bokasa's legacy is primarily in the stories that people tell about him and perhaps in the fantasies that they have about him. And... For me, when I see some of the buildings that were built under his tenure and...

The most notable one, in my opinion, is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which looks like a flying saucer. It makes me think that there was once a time in the Central African Republic's history when the leaders were able to Dream big and... Nowadays, I think there are a lot of people who feel like if Bokasa had had a little bit more time or if circumstances had been slightly different, then he would have been able to realize that dream, that promise of making this into a dream.

country but of course he didn't so he's not necessarily remembered for all the brutal things not necessarily remembered for in Karabai it was a massacre not necessarily remembered for how he killed his friends who could threaten his power. or how he removed Kako from power, but as someone who's strong, fearless and initiated development project for the country.

It's something that is missing, that people are asking for. Central Africans are still longing for a big or grand project that will give them hope. Thanks for listening to the Bukasa story. Real dictators will be back soon as we travel to Yugoslavia for the story of Marshal Tito. That's next time. Stay tuned.