Emperor Bokassa at his Coronation.  Bokassa was dictator of the Central African Republic from 1976-1979.In 1979, children protested over being forced to buy costly school uniforms from one of Bokassa’s wife’s factories. In revenge, he had 180 children arrested. where he and the prison guards clubbed the children. He personally smashed five children ’s skulls with his cane. He had himself crowned as emperor, and he spent one-third of the national budget on his initiation ceremony.