Editing Jean-Bédel Bokassa (section)

==Early years of the regime==
[[File:1967 President Bokassa.jpg|left|thumb|Bokassa on a postage stamp from 1967]]

In the early days of his regime, Bokassa engaged in [[self-promotion]] before the local media, showing his countrymen his French army medals, and displaying his strength, fearlessness and masculinity.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=33}} He formed a new government called the Revolutionary Council, invalidated the constitution and dissolved the [[National Assembly (Central African Republic)|National Assembly]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/05/archives/army-chief-of-staff-seizes-power-in-upper-volta-deposed-president.html|title=Army Chief of Staff Seizes Power in Upper Volta. Deposed President Asserts He 'Rejoices' at Coup Curfew Is Continued|publisher=Associated Press in the [[New York Times]]|date=5 January 1966|page=6|quote=The army Chief of Staff, Lieut. Col. Sangoule Lamizana, seized control of Upper Volta today in the fourth military take-over among the central African countries in the last two months.|access-date=23 July 2018|archive-date=23 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723182834/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/05/archives/army-chief-of-staff-seizes-power-in-upper-volta-deposed-president.html|url-status=live}}</ref> which he called "a lifeless organ no longer representing the people".{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=33}}

In his address to the nation, Bokassa claimed that the government would hold elections in the future, a new assembly would be formed, and a new constitution would be written. He also told his countrymen that he would give up his power after the communist threat had been eliminated, the economy stabilized, and corruption rooted out.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=34}} Bokassa allowed MESAN to continue functioning, but all other political organizations were barred from the CAR.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=35}}

In the coming months, Bokassa imposed a number of new rules and regulations: men and women between the ages of 18 and 55 had to provide proof that they had jobs, or else they would be fined or imprisoned.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=35}} Begging was banned. [[Tom-tom drum|Tom-tom]] playing was allowed only during the nights and weekends. A "morality brigade" was formed in the capital to monitor bars and dance halls. [[Polygamy]], [[dowry|dowries]], and [[female genital cutting|female circumcision]] were all abolished. Bokassa also opened a public transport system in Bangui made up of three interconnected bus lines through the capital city as well as a ferry service on the [[Ubangi River]], and subsidized the creation of two national orchestras.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=35}}

Despite the changes in the country, Bokassa had difficulty obtaining international recognition for his new government. He tried to justify the coup by explaining that Izamo and PRC agents were trying to take over the government and that he had to intervene to save the country from the influence of communism.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=29}} He alleged that PRC agents in the countryside had been training and arming locals to start a revolution, and on 6 January 1966 he dismissed communist agents from the country and cut off diplomatic relations with the PRC. Bokassa also believed that the coup was necessary in order to prevent further corruption in the government.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=29}}

Bokassa first secured diplomatic recognition from President [[François Tombalbaye]] of neighbouring Chad, whom he met in [[Bouca]], [[Ouham]]. After Bokassa reciprocated by meeting Tombalbaye on 2 April 1966, along the southern border of Chad at [[Sarh|Fort Archambault]], the two decided to help one another if either was in danger of losing power.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=30}} Soon after, other African countries began to diplomatically recognize the new government. At first, the French government was reluctant to support the Bokassa regime, so Banza went to Paris to meet with French officials to convince them that the coup was necessary to save the country from turmoil. Bokassa met with [[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]] [[Georges Pompidou]] on 7 July 1966, but the French remained noncommittal in offering their support.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=30}} After Bokassa threatened to withdraw from the CFA franc monetary zone, President de Gaulle decided to make an official visit to the CAR on 17 November 1966. To the Bokassa regime, this visit meant that the French had finally accepted the new changes in the country.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=30}}

===Threat to power===
[[File:Ceausescu with Bokassa 3.jpg|left|thumb|225x225px|Romanian dictator [[Nicolae Ceaușescu]] visits Central African Republic and meets with Bokassa, 1970]]
Bokassa and Banza began to argue over the country's budget, as Banza adamantly opposed the new president's extravagant spending. Bokassa moved to Camp de Roux, where he felt he could safely run the government without having to worry about Banza's thirst for power.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=41}} In the meantime, Banza tried to obtain a support base within the army, spending much of his time in the company of soldiers. Bokassa understood what his minister was doing, so he sent military units most sympathetic to Banza to the country's border and brought his own partisan units as close to the capital as possible. In September 1967, he took a special trip to Paris, where he asked for protection from French troops. Two months later, the French government deployed 80&nbsp;paratroopers to Bangui.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=41}} Charles de Gaulle privately saw Banza as unreliable and believed him to have ties to the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. During meetings with [[Jacques Foccart]] in late 1967, de Gaulle expressed his wish that Bokassa should liquidate Banza instead of seeking reconciliation with him.<ref>{{cite book |last=Deltombe |first=Thomas |date=2023 |editor-last1=Borrel |editor-first1=Thomas |editor-last2=Boukari-Yabara |editor-first2=Amzat |editor-last3=Collombat |editor-first3=Benoît |editor-last4=Deltombe |editor-first4=Thomas |title=Une histoire de la Françafrique: L'empire qui ne veut pas mourir |publisher=[[Éditions du Seuil|Seuil]] |pages=376-377 |chapter=« Foutez-moi la paix avec vos nègres ! » Quand de Gaulle se lâche sur les présidents africains |isbn=9782757897751}}</ref>

On 13 April 1968, in another one of his frequent [[cabinet reshuffle]]s, Bokassa demoted Banza to minister of health, but let him remain a [[minister of state]]. Cognizant of the president's intentions, Banza increased his voicing of dissenting political views.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=42}} A year later, after Banza made a number of remarks highly critical of Bokassa and his management of the economy, the president, perceiving an immediate threat to his power, demoted him from his minister of state position.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=42}} Banza revealed his intention to stage a coup to Lieutenant Jean-Claude Mandaba, the commanding officer of Camp Kassaï, whom he looked to for support. Mandaba went along with the plan, but his allegiance remained with Bokassa.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=42}}

When Banza contacted his co-conspirators on 8 April 1969, informing them that they would execute the coup the following day, Mandaba immediately phoned Bokassa and informed him of the plan. When Banza entered Camp Kassaï on 9 April, he was ambushed by Mandaba and his soldiers. The men had to break Banza's arms before they could overpower and throw him into the trunk of a [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] and take him directly to Bokassa.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=42}} At his house in Berengo, Bokassa nearly beat Banza to death before Mandaba suggested that Banza be put on trial for appearance's sake.{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=43}}

On 12 April, Banza presented his case before a [[military tribunal]] at Camp de Roux, where he admitted to his plan, but stated that he had not planned to kill Bokassa.<ref>{{cite news|title=Central Africans Execute Official. Republic's Health Minister Accused of Plotting Coup|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=14 April 1969|access-date=5 August 2008|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/04/14/archives/central-africans-execute-official-republics-health-minister-accused.html|quote=The Bangui radio announced today that Health Minister Alexandre Banza, 36 years old, had been executed for having plotted to assassinate the President, Col. Jean Bédel Bokassa.|page=20|archive-date=23 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723182615/https://www.nytimes.com/1969/04/14/archives/central-africans-execute-official-republics-health-minister-accused.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was [[capital punishment|sentenced to death]] by [[execution by firing squad|firing squad]], taken to an open field behind Camp Kassaï, executed, and buried in an [[unmarked grave]].{{sfn|Titley|1997|p=43}}

The circumstances of Banza's death have been disputed. The American newsmagazine ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reported that Banza "was dragged before a Cabinet meeting where Bokassa slashed him with a razor. Guards then beat Banza until his back was broken, dragged him through the streets of Bangui and finally shot him."<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine|title = Lord High Everything|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,944776,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222072224/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,944776,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 December 2008|magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=4 May 1974|access-date=4 August 2008}}</ref> The French daily evening newspaper ''[[Le Monde]]'' reported that Banza was killed in circumstances "so revolting that it still makes one's flesh creep":
{{blockquote|Two versions concerning the end circumstances of his death differ on one minor detail. Did Bokassa tie him to a pillar before personally carving him with a knife that he had previously used for stirring his coffee in the gold-and-midnight blue Sèvres coffee set, or was the murder committed on the cabinet table with the help of other persons? Late that afternoon, soldiers dragged a still identifiable corpse, with the spinal column smashed, from barrack to barrack to serve as an example.<ref>{{citation|last = Powers|first = J.|title = Like Water on Stone: The Story of Amnesty International|date = 2001|publisher = Northeastern University Press|location = Boston|isbn = 1-55553-487-2|oclc = 45845483|page = [https://archive.org/details/likewateronstone0000powe/page/88 88]|url = https://archive.org/details/likewateronstone0000powe/page/88}}</ref>}}