September 1979.
Reuters Text:
Emperor Bokassa's overthrow in the former French Colony, the Central African Empire, sparked wild celebrations throughout the country. Within hours of the bloodless coup, French troops flew into the capital, Bangui, to preserve order at the request of the new government. The new provisional government is headed by David Dacko, the nephew Bokassa deposed as Head of State in 1966. In Paris, the deposed Emperor's son George said that his father was in Libya trying to negotiate a loan when the coup came.
Synopsis:
George Bokassa, the eldest son of the deposed Emperor was exiled to France after a bitter dispute with his father.
He's described his father as 'quick-tempered', but didn't believe him capable of the murder of children, as he's been accused. On Friday, the day of the coup George Bokassa said he was not surprised, but felt it was a sad thing to have happen in his family.
A day earlier, he had predicted that his father's overthrow would be a signal for a bloodbath, because of tribal hatreds in his country. French officials announced the dispatch of about three hundred soldiers to help the new government fill a dangerous power vacuum.
Reports said the French troops immediately fanned out in the capital to control the crowds and halt the looting of shops and public buildings.
The deposed Emperor's son said he was taking wait-and-see attitude, saying the new government was only provisional. The new President Dacko said the former self-proclaimed Emperor, had exploited the country for years and lowered and debased it in the eyes of the world. Informed sources said Bokassa had gone to Libya and was proposing to allow the Libyans to establish military bases in the Empire in exchange for financial aid.
Source: Reuters News Archive.
