Paris, France, 13th November 1970, The sobbing President of the Central Africa Republic, Colonel Jean Bedel Bokassa, is overcome with emotion during the funeral of former French President General Charles de Gaulle at Colombey-les-deux-Eglises. The French colonialists had murdered Bokassa's father right in his presence as a child and his mother committed suicide shortly after that because she could not cope with the grief.
The French killed Bokassa's father because he protested against colonialism. But in an interesting twist of fate, young Bokassa grew up defending and fighting for anything French. At this funeral of French President de Gaulle he kept crying out 'oh my Father, oh my Father', even if the dead man was just a president like him too. During meetings, Bokassa would remove his cap, salute and bow before de Gaulle, a president just like himself. It was such a disgrace.
But back home in Africa, he rained hellfire and brimstone on his people. France has a long history of supporting people like Bokassa to maintain control in Africa. They may look black but their orientation is totally French and they are more proud of their connection to France than their African roots. It is really unclear why some develop inferiority complex when faced with anything foreign and they become ashamed of exhibiting their own roots.
The only thing that shocked me about Bokassa was that he did not bleach his skin to look white. At the end of the day, he lost everything and he returned home to the arms of the same people he terrorized. France had abandoned him and the same Africans he 'useless-ed' were the ones to stand by him in his last days. Studying the history of Africa my continent, I think there is a shortage of leaders who actually LOVE their people and their countries.
Leaders who are ready to die for their people and passionately in love with their nations are ABSOLUTELY RARE in Africa. They seem to derive this sadistic pleasure in treating their people like insects meant to be crushed. Believe me, this is the fact, there is no nation in Africa whose history I have not studied extensively.
De Gaulle loved France and dedicated his life to the French people but Bokassa treated his own people like goats, no, worse than goats. The Central African Republic is one of the poorest nations in the world today. Let me mind my business at this point.
#Africa #World
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