Jean-Bédel Bokassa Part 1: The Butcher of Bangui

Real Dictators

NOISER

Fiction, Drama, History

4.8 • 8.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The former soldier in the French army who seized power in his African homeland. The leader of the Central African Republic who proclaimed himself emperor. The emperor who ruled as an avaricious dictator. Jean-Bédel Bokassa’s time in power in the CAR began with promises of equality and justice. Hailed as a beacon of strength, he would go on to preside over a regime of eccentricity, excess and sadistic cruelty. But decades before the surreal coronation, the 17 wives and the vast collection of luxurious possessions, our story begins in a much humbler setting. In a forested village near the CAR’s southern border, rebellion is in the air… A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann. Featuring Louisa Lombard, Richard Moncrieff, Gino Vlavonou. This is Part 1 of 3. Written by John Bartlett | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Fact check by Heléna Lewis | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann. You can listen to the final two episodes of the Bokassa story straight away, without waiting and without ads, by joining Noiser+. Just click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, I'm Connor, head of programming at Intelligence Squared. As we head in to the
0:05.6	festive season, what is for many of us a time of comfort, celebration and gatherings round a table,
0:11.9	most of us won't think twice about the clean water running from our taps that make it all possible.
0:17.8	But for millions of people around the world, this is something they simply don't have.
0:23.1	That's why here at the Intelligence Squared podcast, we're proud to partner with WaterAid,
0:27.8	a charity working to change this and to shine a spotlight on something that connects us all.
0:33.3	In a special episode of our podcast, journalist Cocoa Kan speaks to Amica Godfrey, WaterAids Executive Director of International Programs.
0:42.7	Amica has spent more than 25 years working across the world in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.
0:49.8	She shares powerful stories about how clean water keeps children in school,
0:56.9	helps mothers support their families or run businesses,
0:59.8	and unlocks potential for entire communities.
1:03.6	To hear the full conversation, just search Intelligence Squared, wherever you get your podcasts,
1:05.6	and listen to the episode titled Everything Starts with Water,
1:09.1	released on the 17th of December.
1:13.1	It's early morning on a March day in 1975.
1:19.5	Deep in a remote forest in equatorial Africa,
1:23.9	something is moving in the dense green foliage.
1:31.3	The sound of trampling grows louder. A monumental force is closing in.
1:34.3	Suddenly, a great clump of tree branches is ripped away.
1:39.3	In the freshly made clearing stands one of Africa's great natural treasures,
1:45.5	a forest elephant, ten feet tall, with striking white tusks.
1:51.4	In this eastern part of the Central African Republic, these giants dominate the landscape.
	...

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