His Imperial Majesty Bokassa I was born on 22 February 1921 in Bobangui as Jean-Bedel Bokassa, son of Mindogon Mbougdoulou (Killed on 13 November, 1927) and his wife, Yokowo Marie. President of the Central African Republic from 1 January 1966. Emperor of the Central African Empire from 4 December 1976. Overthrown by a French Coup d’Etat on 20 September 1979. He died in Bangui on 3 November 1996.

He married:

I.                     Annette Van Helst (from Belgium). Bokassa married her at the end of WWII.

II.                   Marguerite Green Boyanga, (born circa 1923, in Cabinda, Angola – died 4 Dec 1959 in Fréjus in the catastrophe of the Malpasset dam break down) From British and Angolese origin.

III.                  Martine Nguyen Thi Hue, (born circa 1934, in Vietnam). Bokassa met her in Hanoi and then both moved to Saigon-Cholon.

IV.                Jacqueline Nguyen Thin Than (born in Vietnam – died in Toulon, France) She married first to Placide Adoum in 1956. Bokassa married her in 1957 and they divorced in 1961. She married again to a sergeant in chief. They had two more sons.

V.                  Astrid Elisabeth Van Erpe (born 28 Feb 1945 in Deir-ez-Zor, Alap, Syrie) A French national. Daughter of Albert Van Erpe (born 18 Aug 1908, Wattrelos, Nord, France) and Hélène Rachel Lévy (born 18 Nov 1907, Cairo, Egypt). Her family of French and Belgian origin settled in Bangui in 1949 and were related to ivory trade. Bokassa married to her on 3 March 1962, in the French Consulate in Bangui. As Astrid could not have children they finally divorced in 1967.

VI.                Catherine Denguiadé (became Her Imperial Majesty The Empress of the Central  African Empire at her husband’s accession to the throne), (born 7 Aug 1949, Fort-Archambault (present day Sarh), Chad) Her father was a member of the M’baka clan (he died in 1980) and her mother was Lucienne Tabedje (born in Chad). She studied at Lycée Pie XII in Bangui. Bokassa married her on 20 June 1964. After the fall of the Central African Empire she moved to Laussane, Switzerland. She now lives in Bangui (C.A.R.).

VII.                Christine Tongui.

VIII.             Marie-Joëlle Aziza-Eboulia, (born 1955 in Gabon – died Aug 2001, Libreville, Gabon) She studied in Lycée Léon-Mba, Libreville, Gabon. Bokassa married her on 18 Feb 1970.

IX.                 Marie-Jeanne Nouganga.

X.                   Éliane Mayanga. She studied at Lycée Caron, Bangui. Daughter of François-Xavier Mayanga. Bokassa married her in 1971. Éliane left the Central African Republic in 1972.  

XI.               Alda Adriano Geday (born 8 Aug 1954, Beirut, Lebanon) Daughter of Adriano Geday (born 7 May 1924, Cairo, Egypt), a Lebanese businessman and Rosine Orstein (born 18 Nov 1926, Cairo, Egypt). Bokassa married her on 4 May 1974. After the wedding Alda resided in Paris, France. Central African Republic Government granted Central African Nationality to Geday family (Adriano, Rosine and Alda) in May 1974.  

XII.             Gabriella Drimbo, (born in Roumania) Bokassa married her in April 1975. Gabriella left the Central African Empire in November 1977.

XIII.            Chantal Belleka, (born in Central African Republic).

XIV.            Marie-Charlotte Mathey.

XV.              Uta (born in 1959, Brema, Germany). Bokassa met her in 1977.

XVI.            Rita Carlos Pimenta.

XVII.          Brigitte Eyenga (born in Cameroon).

XVIII.        Augustine Assemat, (born in Côte d’Ivoire).

XIX.      Zara Victorine.

He had 40 children who bear the title of Prince/Princess and a qualification of Imperial Highness (from 4 December 1976) if not stated otherwise.

Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa I traces his descent in the direct male line from Dobogon Gbo Hosegoton Bokassa, who might have lived about the middle of the 17^th Century. The line from him is as follow:

Dobogon Gbo Hosegoton Bokassa

|

Ziami

|

Momzo

|

Gagoula

|

Kongue

|

Zolaud

|

Nzou

|

Diaye

|

Mbalanga

                  |                                                                                                                        

Mindogon Mbougdoulou

(Married to Marie Yokowo)                                                                                                                     31 other sons

                 |

EMPEROR BOKASSA I

                |

1. Georges Bokassa born (by Marguerite Green Boyanga) on 24 December 1949, in Brazzaville, Moyen-Congo, married to Evelyn Durieux (born 18 June 1955, in Berbérati). They are parents of:

1.1. Romuald Bokassa (aka Romy) (born in July 1975)

1.2. Estelle-Marguerite Bokassa (born in December 1976)

1.3. Jeoffrey Bokassa

Georges Bokassa is also father of:

1.4. Shoula, aka Marie Yokowo Bokassa, (born by Mamie)

2. Martine Bokassa born (by Martine Nguyen Thi Hue) on 2 February 1953, married to Jean-Bruno Dévéavode (died on 24 January 1981). From this marriage were born three children:

2.1 Jean-Barthélémy Dédéavode-Bokassa, born in Bangui on August 30, 1974.
            2.2 Marie Catherine Yokowo Dédéavode-Bokassa, born in Bangui on April 26, 1976.
            2.3 Gilles Saint Albin Dédéavode-Bokassa, born in Bangui on Frebruary 19, 1979.

Then, Martine married Jean Marcel Aboto M' vélé, with whom she had three other children:

           2.4 Jean Max Aboto M' vélé, born in Nancy on september 7, 1986.
           2.5 Serge-Henry Aboto M' vélé, born Nancy on february 17, 1988.
           2.6 Jimmy-James M' vélé, born in Nancy on May 16, 1989.

3. Jean Charles Bokassa (by Jacqueline Nguyen Thin Than) born on 16 September 1958, in Brazzaville, Moyen-Congo. Father of two children.

4. Saint Cyr Bokassa (by Jacqueline Nguyen Thin Than) born on 6 September 1959, in Brazzaville, Moyen-Congo, he died on 7 July 1996, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Married to Marianne Portalier by whom he had one son:

4.1. Jean-Loris Bokassa (born in 1997, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire)

5. LeBrun Bokassa (by Christine Tongui) born on 18 January 1967.

6. Nicole Bokassa (by Jacqueline Nguyen Thin Than) born in 1961. Mother of three children.

7. Reine Bokassa (by Catherine Denguiade) born in 1965.

8. Saint Sylvestre Bokassa (by Catherine Denguiade) born before 1971.

9. Dieu Beni Bokassa (by Catherine Denguiade) born before 1971. Father of one child.

10. Marguerite Bokassa (by Catherine Denguiade) born between February 1971 and February 1975.

11. Jean Parfait Bokassa (by Marie Jeanne Nouganga) born on 25 March 1970.

12. Charlemagne Bokassa (by Joelle Aziza Eboulia) born on 24 March 1970, died in 2001.

13. Jean Christian Bokassa born on 11 November 1971.

14. Lucienne Bokassa (by Catherine Denguiade) born in 1970 in Bangui.

15. Jean Serge Bokassa (by Joelle Aziza Eboulia) born on 25 February 1972 in Bangui.

16. Marie Madeleine Bokassa born (by Helene Mayanga) on 28 March 1972.

17. Marie Anne Bokassa born on 17 April 1972 (by Brigitte Eyenga).

18. Marie Laure Bokassa (by Chantal Belleka) born on 29 October 1972.

19. Marie Jeanne Bokassa born on 3 April 1973.

20. Jean Bertrand Bokassa born on 14 May 1973.

21. Marie Beatrice Bokassa (by Joelle Aziza Eboulia) born on 13 July 1973.

22. Marie Catherine Bokassa born on 30 June 1974 – died on ¿?.

23. Marie Claire Bokassa (by Chantal Belleka) born on 9 July 1974.

24. Marie Eleanore Bokassa born on 1 September 1974.

25. Marie France Bokassa born on 23 October 1974.

26. Marie Ange Bokassa (by Alda Adriano Geday) born on 26 April 1975 in Paris, France.

26.1. Jean-Marie Deeb Bokassa born on 11 June 1997

27 Marie Reine Bokassa (by Zara Victorine) born on 29 August 1975.

28. Jean Le Grand Bokassa (by Joelle Aziza Eboulia) born on 10 October 1977

29. Jean-Bedel Bokassa Jr. (by Catherine Denguiadé) born on 2 November 1973.

30. Anne de Berengo Bokassa (by Gabriella Drimbo) born on 6 September 1976.

31. Jean Yves Bokassa

32. Saint Jean Bokassa (by Catherine Denguiade) born on 13 March 1977.

33. Jean Paul David Bokassa (by Marie-Charlotte Mathey) born on 27 July 1977.

34. Jean Heros Bokassa born on 26 November 1978.

35. Marie Yokowo Bokassa (by Rita Carlos Pimenta) born on 21 September 1979, in Luanda, Angola.

36. Diane Caroline Bokassa (by Joelle Aziza Eboulia) born on 13 October 1979, in Bangui.

37. Gastien Bokassa born on 18 December 1979, in Bangui.

38. Marie Suzanne Bokassa born on 4 February 1981, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

39. Jean Bedel Bokassa Jr. (by Augustine Assemat) born on 3 March 1985, in France.

40. Jean Claude Bokassa (by Jacqueline Nguyen Thin Than) born in 1957

Emperor Bokassa I had also several adopted children:

Martine Bokassa (aka Martine Nguyen-Thi- Ba’i) born in 1953 in Vietnam, died in 1977 in Bangui. She married Fidèle Obrou born In 1949, died in 1976. They had a child who was born on 15 February 1976 and died on 24 February 1976.

Theophile Mobongui, born in Congo

Nestor Bokassa (by Martine Diripong) born in Bangui.

Jean Therence Bokassa born in 1978, in Bangui.

Other family members were also named Princes and Princesses of the Empire:

Catherine Bagalama, sister of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.

Henriette, sister of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.

Jeanne-Marie Bagalama, niece of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.

Pauline Pegbili, sister of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.

Constantin Mbalanga, (born 1942), cousin of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.

Ambroise Gondiade, Prince (20 May 1977) son of Mbalanga.

Madeleine Mahowo (died 26 Apr 1971), elder sister of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.

Elisabeth Kpomanzia (died 27 Apr 1971), aunt of of His Majesty Emperor Bokassa.