On November 3, 1996, in Bangui, the man who turned the impoverished Central African Republic into his personal empire died, while turning his own name into a symbol of fear, ostentation, and impunity. Jean-Bédel Bokassa was 75 years old and died of a heart attack after years of deteriorating health.
He came to power in a coup on January 1, 1966, and ruled the country until 1979. In 1976, he abolished the republic and proclaimed the Central African Empire. A year later, on December 4, 1977, he crowned himself Bokassa I– a ceremony modeled on Napoleon’s coronation that became a symbol of his regime’s extravagance.
The Rumor of Human Flesh
The most sinister legend surrounding Bokassa is that he ate human flesh. After his fall from power, claims spread that political opponents had been killed and their bodies stored in a freezer at one of his residences. At the 1987 trial, several witnesses spoke of human remains, while former Interior Minister Robert Zana stated that an investigation had found no bodies.
The rumor was also fueled by testimony from a former cook, who claimed to have prepared human flesh. These claims were never confirmed by a conviction for cannibalism. Bokassa himself categorically denied the accusation in court:
„I am not a cannibal.“Later, the court acquitted him of the charges of cannibalism and procuring human bodies for that purpose.
The Crimes That Were More Than Just Rumors
Far better documented is the repression of students in 1979. The protests began over mandatory uniforms manufactured by a company linked to Bokassa’s family. Amnesty International reported that children between the ages of 8 and 16 had been detained, beaten, and killed. Initial reports cited varying numbers of victims, but an international commission made up of lawyers from five African countries later concluded that around 100 children had died and that Bokassa had probably taken part in the repression.
American diplomatic documents show that as early as 1979, Washington viewed the allegations as a serious crisis for the regime, although it initially stated that there was no independent confirmation of all the reported killings. Subsequently, the international commission concluded that the crimes had been committed on Bokassa’s orders and with his almost certain participation.
The Sentence and the End
After a French-backed coup in 1979, Bokassa fled into exile. He returned to the Central African Republic in 1986, and his trial concluded in 1987. The court convicted him of plotting to commit murder, the illegal arrest and detention of children and prisoners, and embezzlement of state funds. The death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and he was released in 1993.
Thus, the most famous rumor surrounding Bokassa remains unproven in court. The historically established repression, however, is enough to explain why, three decades after his death, his name continues to be associated not with the crown, but with the violence behind it.
Sources: washingtonpost.com, latimes.com, upi.com