The Central African Empire (French: Empire centrafricain) was a short-lived, self-declared autocratic monarchy that replaced the Central African Republic and was, in turn, replaced by the restoration of the Republic. The empire was formed when Jean-Bédel Bokassa, president of the Republic, declared himself Emperor Bokassa I on 4 December 1976. Bokassa spent the equivalent of over 20 million United States dollars, a quarter of the country’s government annual income, on his coronation ceremony. The monarchy was abolished and the name “Central African Republic” was restored on 21 September 1979, when Bokassa was ousted with French support.
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“Sweet weight,
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I sing for you. I dare to live.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
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—Patricia Grayson, African American administrator. As quoted in Time magazine, p. 59 (March 13, 1989)
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—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)