Emperor of Central Africa

The Emperor of Central Africa (French: Empereur de l'Afrique Centrale) was the autocratic ruler of the Central African Empire from 1976 to 1979. After President Jean-Bédel Bokassa who was considered a tyrannical dictator by the Central African people, proclaimed himself Emperor Bokassa I on 4 December 1976, and was crowned emperor on 4 December 1977 in a lavish coronation ceremony that was estimated to cost his country roughly $20 million US dollars.

Bokassa I attempted to justify 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. The coronation consumed one third of the nation's annual budget and all of the French aid that year, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. Many thought Bokassa was insane, and compared his egotistical extravagance with that of Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, Idi Amin.

Full titles

The Emperor of Central Africa had a various list of titles and claims that reflected the geographic expanse and diversity of the lands ruled by the House of Bokassa.

Bokassa I

His Imperial Majesty Bokassa the First, Emperor of Central Africa by the will of the Central African people, united within the national political party, the MESAN.

Emperor of Central Africa (1976–1979)

Pretenders to the Throne of Central Africa (1979–Present)

See also

• Central African Empire
• Heads of state of Central Africa

References

• Lentz, Harris M. (1994), Heads of States and Governments: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Over 2,300 Leaders, 1945 through 1992, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, ISBN 0899509266, OCLC 30075961 .