Not only Idi Amin "the last King of Scotland":
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CANNIBAL EMPEROR BURIED WITH HONORS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
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Electronic Telegraph
'Cannibal' emperor Bokassa is offered forgiveness in death
By Julian Nundy
International News Electronic Telegraph- Tuesday 5 November 1996 - Issue 531
Central African Republic
THE DEATH of Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who rose through the French army tocrown himself emperor of Central Africa before adding the word "apostle"to his name, will remind France and Africa of some of the more bizarre momentsof their common history.
The Central African government promised yesterday an official funeral forits former leader whom its judges twice condemned to death for the bloodymassacres of children in 1979 during which he was charged with cannibalism.Bokassa, who was 75, died of a heart attack on Sunday in the villa wherehe had lived since his release from prison three years ago. His son, Jean-Charles,one of the former Central African leader's reported 55 children borne by17 wives, said Bokassa was "lucid" to the end.
In France, Bokassa is associated with the fall from popularity of the formercentre-Right President Valery Giscard d'Estaing. M Giscard d'Estaing's admissionthat he had accepted a gift of diamonds from Bokassa was partly blamed forhis defeat by Francois Mitterrand in the 1981 presidential election, eventhough it was M Giscard d'Estaing who sent French troops to drive Bokassafrom power.
Bokassa, born in Bobangui in 1921, was an orphan by the age of six. Hismother committed suicide a week after his father was murdered, leaving himto be brought up by missionaries. At 18, he demonstrated his commitmentto France, then the colonial power in his country, by joining the Frencharmy at the outbreak of the Second World War.
He was among the many thousands of African and North African Arab troopsto take part in the August 1944 landings in Provence. After the war, Bokassaserved in Indochina and Algeria, earning both the Legion d'Honneur and theCroix de Guerre. He left the French army with the rank of captain and returnedto his newly-independent country to become army chief of staff in 1964.
He placed his crown on his own head, Napoleon Bonaparte-style
A year later, Bokassa, promising "the abolition of the bourgeoisie",overturned President David Dacko, his cousin, and began a political careerduring which he earned the reputation, at best, of a buffoon and, at worst,of a blood-thirsty killer.
In 1972, he proclaimed himself marshal and president-for-life but his greatestmoment came on Dec 4, 1977, when he proclaimed himself emperor, renaminghis country the Central African Empire. He placed his crown on his own head,Napoleon Bonaparte-style.
In May 1979, Amnesty International said 100 children had been killed ina Bangui prison for protesting against the cost of school uniforms. Somesources said Bokassa not only participated personally in the massacre butate some of the victims.
Protesting that he was a fervent Christian - although he once briefly convertedto Islam after a session with Libya's Col Gaddafi - and the father of alarge family himself, Bokassa said he could never have harmed children.
Four months later, while Bokassa was visiting Libya, France mounted OperationBarracuda and sent paratroopers to restore Dacko to the presidency. Bokassaimmediately flew to France where, despite his legitimate claim to Frenchnationality, he was prevented from landing. Finally, after four years inIvory Coast, he was allowed to settle in his house at Haudricourt, westof Paris.
In 1986, although condemned to death in absentia, Bokassa decided to returnhome. After a seven-month trial, he was again sentenced to death but PresidentAndre Kolingba commuted the sentence to 20 years in prison. Released fromjail, Bokassa retired to a villa in the capital, Bangui.
Yesterday, the Central African state radio described him as "illustrious"and said he would be buried in his home village of Berengo. Ten years ago,during his disgrace, the same radio called him "the Ogre of Berengo".
http://www.americancivilrightsreview.com/dvafricacfrcannibal.html