[5] Alexandre de Marenches, head of the French intelligence service SDECE, later stated that France aimed to "ensure that the Libyans did not establish a position in the center of Africa", a point that was also brought up by Giscard d'Estaing.

[citation needed] In April 1979, Bokassa called in the Central African Armed Forces to put down the agitation and arrest the teenage students.

[6] In August 1979 a panel of investigators, selected by other African states, found that Bokassa was complicit in the massacres, which further damaged his international legitimacy.

As historian Brian Titley pointed out, deposing Bokassa was only part of the coup; equally important was hand-picking a successor who could be trusted to serve French interests in the country.

France had vetoed any figures with Marxist or leftist views, such as Abel Goumba, as well as those it deemed untrustworthy, including Ange-Félix Patassé and Sylvestre Bangui.

To ensure this, Dacko had to be transported to Bangui and would "request" assistance in carrying out the overthrow of Bokassa, prior to the actual arrival of foreign troops.

A commando squad linked to the latter, joined by the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, flew Dacko into Bangui on 19 September 1979 through the international airport.

The operation was completed within a matter of hours without a shot being fired: Central African soldiers across Bangui immediately surrendered, whereas the imperial guards at Berengo left for their villages.

[8] As a result of the coup, Dacko successfully reclaimed the presidency after his 13-year absence and the country was again renamed to the Central African Republic (CAR).