Editing Central African Empire

{{short description|1976–1979 monarchy in Central Africa}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox former country
| conventional_long_name = Central African Empire
| native_name            = {{native name|fr|paren=omit|Empire centrafricain}}
| common_name            = Central African Empire
| life_span              = 1976–1979
| image_flag             = Flag of the Central African Republic.svg
| flag_type              = [[Flag of the Central African Republic|Flag]]
| flag_caption           = [[Flag of the Central African Republic|Co-official flags]]{{efn|The second flag was the Imperial Standard, but was also used unofficially as a secondary national flag.}}
| image_flag2            = Imperial Standard of Bokassa I (1976–1979).svg
| image_coat             = Imperial Coat of arms of Central Africa (1976–1979).svg
| coa_size               = 68
| symbol_type            = [[Imperial coat of arms of the Central African Empire|Coat of arms]]
| national_motto         = "Unité, Dignité, Travail"<br>("Unity, Dignity, Duty")
| national_anthem        = "[[La Renaissance]]"<br>("The Renaissance")
| image_map              = Central African Empire in its region.svg
| image_map_caption      = Location of the Central African Empire.
| capital                = [[Bangui]]
| largest_city           = capital
| languages_type         = Official&nbsp;language
| languages              = [[French language|French]]
| languages2_sub         = yes
| languages2_type        = National language
| languages2             = [[Sango language|Sango]]
| religion               = [[Catholic Church in the Central African Republic|Catholicism]] (official) <br> [[Protestantism]], [[Islam in the Central African Republic|Sunni Islam]] (minority)
| government_type        = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[parliamentary]] [[constitutional monarchy]] (''de jure'')<br>[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[One-party state|one-party]] [[absolute monarchy]] under a [[military dictatorship]] (''de facto'')
| title_leader           = [[Emperor of Central Africa|Emperor]]
| leader1                = [[Jean-Bédel Bokassa|Bokassa I]]
| year_leader1           = 1976–1979
| title_deputy           = [[List of heads of government of the Central African Republic|Prime&nbsp;Minister]]
| deputy1                = [[Ange-Félix Patassé]]
| deputy2                = [[Henri Maïdou]]
| p1                     = Central African Republic
| s1                     = Central African Republic
| year_deputy1           = 1976–1978
| year_deputy2           = 1978–1979
| established_event1     = [[#Proclamation|Proclamation]]
| established_event2     = [[Coronation of Bokassa I and Catherine|Coronation of Bokassa I]]
| established_event3     = [[Operation Caban|Overthrow]]
| established_date1      = 4 December 1976
| established_date2      = 4 December 1977
| established_date3      = 21 September 1979
| area_km2               = 622,984
| area_sq_mi             = 240,535
| currency               = [[Central African CFA franc]]
| today                  = [[Central African Republic]]
| footnotes              = 
| iso3166code            = CF
}}

The '''Central African Empire''' ({{langx|fr|Empire centrafricain}}) was established on 4 December 1976 when the then-President of the [[Central African Republic]], [[Jean-Bédel Bokassa]], declared himself [[Emperor of Central Africa]]. The empire would fall less than three years later when French and [[Central Africa|Central African]] forces overthrew Bokassa and re-established the Central African Republic on 21 September 1979.

==History==

===Proclamation===
{{No sources|date=June 2022|section}}

In September 1976, President Jean-Bédel Bokassa dissolved the government of the Central African Republic and replaced it with the Central African Revolutionary Council. On 4 December 1976, at the ruling [[Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa|MESAN]] party congress, Bokassa instituted a new constitution, converted back to [[Roman Catholicism]] after briefly converting to Islam earlier in the year, and declared the country to be a monarchy. He had himself [[Coronation of Bokassa I and Catherine|crowned Emperor of Central Africa]] on 4 December 1977.

Bokassa's full title was "Emperor of Central Africa by the Will of the Central African People, United within the National Political Party, the MESAN" and used the style "His Imperial Majesty". His regalia, lavish coronation ceremony, and regime were largely inspired by [[Napoleon]], who had converted the [[French First Republic]] into the [[First French Empire]]. The coronation ceremony was estimated to cost his country roughly {{US$|20,000,000}} ([[Central African CFA franc|XAF]]12,230,000,000,00 in modern values), one-third of the country's budget and all of France's aid for that year.

Bokassa justified his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. Despite invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. Bokassa was widely ridiculed for this act, with his egotistical extravagance compared with that of [[Uganda|Ugandan]] dictator [[Idi Amin]].
[[File:1968 Central African Empire (30249402783).jpg|thumb|left|Prefectures of the empire (1978)]]

===Overthrow===
{{History of the Central African Republic|expanded=independence}}
{{Main|Operation Caban|Operation Barracuda}}

By January 1979, French support for Bokassa had eroded after riots in [[Bangui]] led to a massacre of civilians.{{sfn|Meredith|1997|p=230}} Between 17 and 19 April, a number of high school students were arrested after they had protested against wearing the expensive, government-required school uniforms; an estimated 100 were killed in the [[1979 Ngaragba Prison massacre|Ngaragba Prison massacre]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title = AFRICA: Papa in the Dock|url = http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946313,00.html|magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date = 1979-06-11|df = dmy-all|access-date = 2019-05-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last = Greene|first = B.|date = 2012-03-12|df = dmy-all|title = 5 Most Notorious African Warlords, Jean-Bédel Bokassa|url = https://www.usnews.com/news/slideshows/5-most-notorious-african-warlords?slide=5|magazine = [[U.S. News]]|access-date = 2019-05-12}}</ref>

Emperor Bokassa personally participated in the massacre, where he was reported beating dozens of children to death with his own cane.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} The massive press coverage which followed the deaths of the students opened the way for a successful coup which saw French troops in [[Operation Caban]] and subsequently [[Operation Barracuda]] restore former president [[David Dacko]] to power while Bokassa was away in [[Libya]] meeting with [[Gaddafi]] on 20 September 1979.

Bokassa's overthrow by the French government was called "France's last colonial expedition" by veteran French diplomat and regime change architect [[Jacques Foccart]]. [[François Mitterrand]] refused to have France intervene in this manner again.<ref name=":03" /> Operation Barracuda began the night of 20 September and ended early the next morning. An undercover commando squad from the French intelligence agency [[SDECE]], joined by the [[1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment]] led by Colonel Brancion-Rouge, landed by [[Transall C-160]], and managed to secure [[Bangui M'Poko International Airport]]. Upon arrival of two more transport aircraft, a message was sent to Colonel Degenne to come in with eight [[Aérospatiale Puma|Puma helicopters]] and Transall aircraft, which took off from [[N'Djaména]] military airport in neighbouring [[Chad]].{{sfn|Bokassa|2006|p=32}}

By 12:30&nbsp;p.m. on 21 September 1979, the pro-French Dacko proclaimed the fall of the Central African Empire. David Dacko remained president until he was overthrown on 1 September 1981, by General [[André Kolingba]].

Bokassa died on 3 November 1996, in the Central African Republic. In 2009, [[Jean-Serge Bokassa]], who was seven years old when the Emperor was overthrown, stated his father's reign was "indefensible".<ref>{{cite news|last = Thomson|first = M.|date = 2009-01-02|df = dmy-all|title = 'Good old days' under Bokassa?|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7803421.stm|newspaper = [[BBC News]]|access-date = 2019-05-12}}</ref>

==International response==

===France's role===
When [[Jean-Bédel Bokassa]] took control of the [[Central African Republic]], the French president at the time, [[Charles de Gaulle]], did not want to engage with the new leader, refusing to receive him and calling him a "bloody idiot."<ref name=":03">{{Cite book|title=Making sense of the Central African Republic|editor-last1=Carayannis|editor-first1=Tatiana|editor-last2=Lombard|editor-first2=Louisa|date=15 July 2015|publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1-78360-381-7|oclc=1004968881}}</ref> After heavy advising from his chief of staff, [[Jacques Foccart]], De Gaulle finally met Bokassa in 1969, three years after he came into power.<ref name=":03"/> After Charles De Gaulle exited office and [[Georges Pompidou]] died, [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing|Valery Giscard d'Estaing]] took office in 1974. Giscard d'Estaing and Bokassa engaged in correspondence and with Giscard d'Estaing's administration, France and the Central African Empire became close allies.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Cartwright|first1=John|last2=Titley|first2=Brian|date=1998|title=Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa|journal=Canadian Journal of African Studies|volume=32|issue=2|pages=433|doi=10.2307/486174|issn=0008-3968|jstor=486174}}</ref> When Bokassa declared that he was going to be hosting a coronation for himself as the emperor of the new Central African Empire, many of the novelties that attributed to the luxurious event came from France. This included an imperial crown as well as a golden throne in the shape of an eagle. After various allegations against Bokassa including the beating of school children as well as cannibalism,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-25183377|title=Why is France sending troops to Africa again?|last=Melly|first=Paul|date=2013-12-02|access-date=2019-12-04|language=en-GB}}</ref> France intervened with two operations that sought to remove Bokassa from office, the final one being [[Operation Barracuda]].

===French President Valéry Giscard===
{{Main|Valéry Giscard d'Estaing}}

[[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]] became the President of France in May 1974,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Valery-Giscard-dEstaing|title=Valéry Giscard d'Estaing {{!}} president of France|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-12-05}}</ref> where his relationship with [[Jean-Bédel Bokassa|Bokassa]] was more interactive than previous administrations. During his first visit to the country in 1970, Bokassa presented him with diamonds and ivory carvings.<ref name=":1" /> Giscard advised Bokassa to avoid a ceremony on the scale of [[Napoleon]] due to the Central African Empire's financial situation; however, though Bokassa ignored Giscard d'Estaing's warning, Giscard d'Estaing was the first to congratulate Bokassa on the transition to Empire. Their relationship made news on 10 October 1979 when a newspaper named the ''[[Le Canard enchaîné]]'' broke a story about Bokassa giving thirty carats of diamonds to Giscard d'Estaing and accused him of giving Giscard d'Estaing a plethora of gifts on his visits to the empire. These included elephant tusks, ivory carved objects as well as precious stones estimated to be worth one million francs.<ref name=":1" /> This scandal was later called "Diamondgate"<ref name=":1" /> or the [[Diamonds Affair]] scandal which contributed to Giscard d'Estaing losing the presidency in the [[1981 French presidential election|1981 elections]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/11/world/france-s-president-says-he-sold-bokassa-jewels.html|title=France's President Says He Sold Bokassa Jewels|agency=Reuters|date=1981-03-11|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-05|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Operation Barracuda===
{{Main|Operation Barracuda}}

Operation Barracuda was initiated in 1979 after the death of several school children after a protest that was shut down with many students imprisoned in Ngaraba.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/24/archives/bokassa-successor-says-dictator-killed-children-in-april-massacre.html|title=Bokassa Successor Says Dictator Killed Children in April Massacre|date=1979-09-24|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-05|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> France severed ties with Bokassa, and began to plan his excommunication when the emperor began working with [[Muammar Gaddafi]],<ref name=":03"/> the Libyan leader. Operation Barracuda entailed French soldiers entering the country <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/04/world/jean-bedel-bokassa-75-ruled-the-central-african-republic.html|title=Jean-Bedel Bokassa, 75, Ruled The Central African Republic|last=French|first=Howard W.|date=1996-11-04|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-04|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> while [[Jean-Bédel Bokassa|Bokassa]] was on a trip to Libya and instating [[David Dacko]], who had been exiled to Paris,<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=France in Centrafrique: from Bokassa and Operation Barracuda to the days of EUFOR|last=Baxter|first=Peter|date=2011|publisher=Helion|isbn=978-1-907677-37-3|oclc=751804918}}</ref> as the new leader. France cut off all humanitarian aid for media presence and then later sent French troops into [[Bangui]], the nation's capital, to install David Dacko as the new leader.<ref name=":2" /> Dacko stayed in a hotel in France, where he was exiled, awaiting the call to be transported into the nation as soon as Bokassa made himself unavailable.<ref name=":2" /> Leaders from [[Chad]], [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congo]] (then [[Zaire]]) all agreed to the idea as well as to aid the French in transport and military support for Operation Barracuda.<ref name=":2" /> This operation's success effectively ended the Central African Empire and reintroduced the Central African Republic.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

==See also==
* [[Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état]]
* [[History of the Central African Republic]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book
 |last       = Bokassa
 |first      = J.
 |date       = 2006
 |title      = Les diamants de la trahison
 |language   = fr
 |location   = Paris
 |publisher  = Pharos
 |isbn       = 9782756900742
}}
*{{cite journal
 |last       = Crabb
 |first      = J. C.
 |date       = 1978
 |title      = The Coronation of Emperor Bokassa
 |journal    = [[Africa Today|Afr. Today]]
 |volume     = 25
 |issue      = 3
 |pages      = 25–44
 |jstor      = 4185788
}}
*{{cite book
 |last       = Meredith
 |first      = M.
 |date       = 1997
 |title      = The State of Africa
 |location   = New York
 |publisher  = [[Free Press (publisher)|Free Press]]
 |isbn       = 9780743268424
}}
*Carayannis, Tatiana, and Lombard, Louisa. ''Making Sense of the Central African Republic''. London: Zed Books, 2015.
*Baxter, Peter. France in Centrafrique : From Bokassa and Operation Barracuda to the Days of EUFOR. Africa@War; v. 2. Solihull, West Midlands : Pinetown, South Africa: Helion ; 30° South Publishers, 2011.
*Titley, E. Brian. ''Dark Age the Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa''. Canadian Electronic Library. Canadian Publishers Collection. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1997.
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline||Central&nbsp;African&nbsp;Empire}}

{{Former Monarchies}}
{{Central African Republic topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1970s in the Central African Republic]]
[[Category:Former empires in Africa]]
[[Category:Former monarchies of Africa]]
[[Category:Former monarchies]]
[[Category:Military dictatorships]]
[[Category:One-party states]]
[[Category:Self-proclaimed monarchy]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1979]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1976]]
[[Category:1976 establishments in Africa]]
[[Category:1979 disestablishments in the Central African Republic]]