Jean-Bédel Bokassa's Coronation: From Rags to Riches to Ruin
Jean-Bédel Bokassa's Coronation: From Rags to Riches to Ruin APA 7th Referencing Figure 1: Jean-Bedel Bokassa with Nicolae Ceausescu in 1970 (Fototeca online a comunismului românesc, #Z260). Early Life: Jean-Bédel Bokassa was born on 22nd February 1921 in Boubangui within French Equatorial Africa (Titley, 1997, p.6; Baccard, 1987, pp.15-16). His father, Mindogon Mgboundoulou, was the chief of the village, who had twelve children - including Bokassa - and was forced to work for the French Forestière Company ( Titley, 1997, p.6 ). After initially supporting the French, the Karnu Revolt against the French involved some men from his village, and he sought to free them from the Forestière Company ( Titley, 1997, p.6 ). This was considered an act of rebellion by the French Forestière, who subsequently captured Mindogon and beat him to death in 1927, with Bokassa's mother committing suicide a week later (Appiah & Gates, 1999, p.278). ...