TO the fall of 1976, the megalomaniac master of the Central African Republic decides that his people amply deserve to be ruled by an emperor. On December 4, Jean-Bedel Bokassa established the monarchy and granted himself the title of “Emperor of the Central African Republic by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party”, the MESAN. His coronation comes a year later, to the day. What a ceremony! In comparison, Queen Elizabeth II’s enthronement looks like a patronage party.
Bokassa will stop at nothing. Fan of Napoleon, he reconstructed the splendor of the coronation of the French Emperor, going so far as to have the same ceremonial costume cut: a thick scarlet cape lined with white ermine fur and a dress encrusted with pearls on which he had suns and bees embroidered with gold thread. Very suitable for the Central African climate! The imperial wardrobe is signed Pierre Cardin. Its monumental throne covered with gold represents an eagle. As for its crown, it could only be pure gold, covered with 7,000 carats of diamonds. Value ? $ 5 million. The monthly salary of 50,000 Central African civil servants. Of course, the Empress and the entire Imperial family enjoy the same largesse. To transport his guests, the master of Bangui ordered 45 Mercedes in Germany and more than three hundred French cars.
After the ceremony, the emperor travels through his capital, Bangui, in a gold and bronze coach pulled by French stud horses, a modest gift offered by France. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing could not do less for his friend who covered him and his family with diamonds. And too bad for the two horses who die exhausted by the load and by the heat. Giscard did not dare to make the trip in person, he sent his Minister of Cooperation Robert Galley to represent France.
To attend his coronation, Bokassa issued 10,000 invitations, but no head of state wanted to participate in the masquerade, except the Prime Minister of Mauritius. Musician Manu Dibango provides the show. One hundred tons of food are swallowed up while part of the country is starving. To finance his modest ceremony, which is equivalent to a quarter of the annual budget, Bokassa reduces the salaries of civil servants and taxes his subjects even more, necessarily happy to provide for the escapades of his Ubu king. The “dear cousin” Muammar Kadhafi puts his hand in his pocket.
No atomic bomb for him
The reign of Bokassa Ier only lasts two years. France ends up releasing Bokassa when he calls for the atomic bomb to ensure the security of the Central African Republic. The empire disappears with him, to make way for a Republic.
