Editing Jean-Bédel Bokassa (section)

==Rising tensions==
Dacko's government faced a number of problems during 1964 and 1965: the economy experienced [[economic stagnation|stagnation]], the bureaucracy was falling apart, and the country's boundaries were constantly breached by [[Patrice Lumumba|Lumumbists]] from the south and the rebel [[Anyanya]] from the east.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=25}} 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 [[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 the [[People's Republic of China]] (PRC) in September 1964.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=25}}

A delegation led by Meng Yieng and agents of the Chinese government toured the CAR, showing [[Propaganda in the People's Republic of China|communist propaganda films]]. Soon after, the PRC gave the CAR an interest-free loan of one billion [[CFA franc]]s (20 million [[French franc]]s<ref>{{citation|title = The Decline of the Franc Zone: Monetary Politics in Francophone Africa|last = van de Walle|first = Nicholas|journal=African Affairs|volume = 90|issue = 360|date=July 1991|pages=383–405|publisher = [[Oxford University Press]]|doi = 10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a098439|jstor=722938}}</ref>). The aid failed to subdue the prospect of a financial collapse for the country.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=25}} Widespread [[political corruption]] added to the country's list of problems.{{sfn|Lee|1969|p=100}} Bokassa felt that he needed to take over the government to address these issues—most importantly, to rid the CAR from the influence of [[communism]]. According to Samuel Decalo, a scholar of African government, Bokassa's personal ambitions played the most important role in his decision to launch a coup against Dacko.{{sfn|Decalo|1973|p=220}}

Dacko sent Bokassa to [[Paris]] as part of the CAR's delegation for the [[Bastille Day]] celebrations in July 1965. After attending the celebrations and a 23 July ceremony to mark the closing of a military officer training school he had attended decades earlier, Bokassa decided to return to the CAR. However, Dacko forbade his return,{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=25}} and the infuriated Bokassa spent the next few months trying to obtain support from the French and Central African armed forces, who he hoped would force Dacko to reconsider his decision. Dacko eventually yielded to pressure and allowed Bokassa back in October 1965. Bokassa claimed that Dacko finally gave up after [[List of Presidents of the French Republic|French President]] [[Charles de Gaulle]] had personally told Dacko that "Bokassa must be immediately returned to his post. I cannot tolerate the mistreatment of my companion-in-arms".<ref>{{Harvnb|Bokassa|1985|p=24}}.</ref>

Tensions between Dacko and Bokassa continued to escalate in the coming months. In December, Dacko approved an increase in the budget for Izamo's ''gendarmerie'', but rejected the budget proposal Bokassa had made for the army.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=26}} At this point, Bokassa told friends he was annoyed by Dacko's mistreatment and was "going for a coup d'état".{{sfn|Péan|1977|p=15}} Dacko planned to replace Bokassa with Izamo as his personal military adviser, and wanted to promote army officers loyal to the government, while demoting Bokassa and his close associates.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=26}}

Dacko did not conceal his plans. He hinted at his intentions to elders of the Bobangui village, who in turn informed Bokassa of the plot. Bokassa realized he had to act quickly, and worried that his 500-man army would be no match for the ''gendarmerie'' and the presidential guard.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=26}} He was also concerned with the possibility that the French would come to Dacko's aid after the coup, as had occurred after one in Gabon against President [[Léon M'ba]] in February 1964; after receiving word of the coup from the country's vice president, officials in Paris sent paratroopers to Gabon in a matter of hours and M'Ba was quickly restored to power.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=26}}

Bokassa received substantive support from his co-conspirator, Captain [[Alexandre Banza]], who commanded the Camp Kassaï military base in northeast Bangui and, like Bokassa, had served in the French Army. Banza was an intelligent, ambitious and capable man who played a major role in the planning of the coup.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=26}} By December, many people began to anticipate the political turmoil that would soon engulf the CAR. Dacko's personal advisers alerted him that Bokassa "showed signs of mental instability" and needed to be arrested before he sought to bring down the government; Dacko did not heed these warnings.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=26}}