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78-510: The MDD was established in northern Dahomey by Hubert Maga in 1951 as the Ethnic Group of the North ( Groupement Ethnique du Nord , GEN). Maga had previously been a member of the ruling Dahomeyan Progressive Union , but was encouraged to split from the party by the local French administrator Roger Péperty. Maga gained support from his Bariba people , and won one of the two Dahomey seats in

156-561: A Military Directorate was established with Paul Emile de Souza as its chairman. An election was held on March 28, 1970, to determine the true president. On this occasion, the triumvirate was allowed to campaign, and they did not miss the chance. Intimidation and bribery were commonplace, and the electoral campaign saw the comeback of regional loyalties. It was also marked by a series of violent outbursts; invalidated reports state that six people were killed or wounded at incidents in Parakou on

234-412: A consultation with the trade unions was necessary before selecting a Minister of Labor, and eventually appointed Paul Darboux to the office. Although Apithy wanted to return to his former position as Prime Minister, he was instead appointed Minister of State without responsibility for any specific department. In his policy speech upon receiving the premiership, Maga asked his fellow Dahomeyans to end

312-553: A dictator, and a series of demonstrations the Vice President coordinated would ultimately force Maga out of office. These were not sparked by Maga himself, but rather the murder of David Dessou . January 1962 saw the poisoning of Dessou, an official of the Sakete sub-prefecture. The deputy from his constituency, named Christophe Bokhiri, was accused of the crime and duly arrested. He was released after his fellow deputies in

390-479: A large mix of African ethnicities, including Fula , Dendi , Somba , Fon , Mina , Bariba , Djerma , Yoruba (of the Nago tribe), Hausa , Kabrais , Warma , and Tuareg . In 1979 the city was reported as having 60,915 people and according to the official census of 1992, Parakou had a population of 103,577. In the last 15–20 years the population of Parakou has nearly doubled with 149,819 recorded in 2002 and with

468-557: A member of the committee on parliamentary privileges. During his first term in the Assembly, he accomplished little apart from proposing a bill on May 13, 1954, that concerned the election of counselors of the Republic from its overseas territories and Trust Territories. With the support of his new party, Maga ran for the renewal of his mandate at the legislative elections held on January 2, 1956. Standing for an "active federalism within

546-595: A national crisis of unity, culminating in a failed assassination plot against him in May 1961 led by the main opposition leader, Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin . Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin was jailed, and by the time of his release in November 1962, a one-party state had been established and the opposition press had been restricted. In 1963, convicted murderer Christophe Bokhiri was released from prison, prompting riots around

624-479: A northerner". He became a teacher at Natitingou in 1935. In 1939, he married a fellow Christian, a nurse by profession, and the daughter of a prominent Brazilian of Fon origins from Ouidah . Marriages between northern and southern Dahomeyans were uncommon at the time. Maga was appointed director of the school in 1945. Along with his new wife, he began to increase his influence among uneducated citizens. He worked for trade unions after World War II, and led

702-772: A peasant in 1916, Maga served as a schoolmaster from 1936 to 1945, during which time he gradually gained considerable influence among the uneducated. He was elected to Dahomey's territorial assembly in 1947 and founded the Northern Ethnical Group, later renamed the Dahomey Democratic Rally ( Rassemblement Démocratique du Dahomé ). In 1951, Maga was elected to the French National Assembly , where he served in various positions, including premier from 1959 to 1960. When Dahomey gained its independence from France on August 1, 1960, Maga

780-442: A provisional one in which Apithy and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin had equal standing, they organized themselves to protest this new order. Armed northerners came down to Cotonou to support Maga and clashed with dissenters, killing two. The protesters, however, would not return to their jobs until Maga no longer held his. They were to get their wish. On October 28 Chief of Staff of the 800-man Dahomeyan Army Christophe Soglo took control of

858-543: A railway to Cotonou . This has made it an important market town , with major industries including cotton and textiles, peanut oil manufacture and brewing. The town grew initially from revenue generated from passing merchants that took goods from the region across the Sahara and the Mediterranean to Europe. Parakou later became well known in the slave trade . Later traders concentrated on cotton and Parakou remains

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936-422: A southwest constituency. However, Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin made it clear that he would not agree to let Apithy retain the office of Prime Minister of Dahomey. Maga was chosen as a compromise for the premiership, and was voted into this post on May 22, 1959. Maga's election coincided with a collapse of the colonial economy. There was little foreign investment in the country, and unemployment was rising. He thus felt that

1014-647: A student uprising, the president combined the two major youth organizations in Dahomey, chapters of the World Federation of Youth and the World Federation of Democratic Youth , into the National Union of Dahomeyan Youth. It was to remain a nationally run organization, unaffiliated with any international institution. Nonetheless, he would do nothing more than reprimand students who protested him, not even revoke their scholarships. On December 31, 1961,

1092-720: A time when we are not capable of confronting the present [financial] difficulties? Popular opinion was soon behind Maga instead of Apithy. Maga began to form an alliance with Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin, especially after Apithy voted in favor of joining the short-lived Mali Federation , an idea that Maga opposed. In response, the premier added more U.D.D. deputies to his government in a January 1960 cabinet reshuffle. However, they became more vocal in trying to take over Dahomey. Maga began to ally with Chabi Mama and Arouna Mama , who became his closest colleagues. On August 1, 1960, Maga traveled to Paris to discuss Dahomey's political future with Houphouët-Boigny. Following their negotiations, Dahomey

1170-621: A wealthy northern merchant. Capitalising on growing cynicism regarding southern Dahomey dominating the French colony's politics, he allied himself with the northern tribes. The May 1951 law also enlarged the electorate from 61,958 to 333,693. Some dead people were even counted as electors due to the mishandling of election cards. The Cotonou newspaper L'Etoile du Dahomey noted a man who gave an unlimited number of cards as long as they promised to vote for Maga's main opponent, accountant and deputy Sourou-Migan Apithy . Altogether, however, only 44% of

1248-460: Is Souradjou Adamou Karimou. The city was founded in the 16th century by traders. Among traders there is a first occupant of the Old City, a hunter named sina kpebiegi. This hunter was from baatonou community. Even the traditional leaders are living from slaves trade the population are living from fishing and agriculture. Parakou lies on the main north-south highway RNIE 2 and at the end of

1326-549: Is called the "Marché Kobo Kobo", which lies across the street from the French Cultural Centre. Marché Kobo Kobo is known for its clothing retailing, primarily second hand goods, and in another section livestock. The Marché Depot is located near Parakou Railway Station around numerous hotels and sells mostly food but also calabashes and baskets. There is also the Marché Guema, located next to Guema Church on

1404-583: Is home to one university, the University of Parakou, founded in 2001. Among the places of worship , most predominant are Muslim mosques. There are also several Christian denominations represented: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Parakou ( Catholic Church ), Protestant Methodist Church in Benin ( World Methodist Council ), Union of Baptist Churches of Benin ( Baptist World Alliance ), Living Faith Church Worldwide , Redeemed Christian Church of God and

1482-642: The Assemblies of God . Parakou Railway Station is the last railway station on the Parakou- Cotonou railway, however at present it is not open to passenger transportation. Both the national highways RNIE 2 and RNIE 6 pass through Parakou. The city is also served by Parakou Airport . The government has proposed extending the railway to Dosso in Niger. The main football clubs are Dynamo Unacob FC de Parakou and Buffles du Borgou FC which play in

1560-799: The French National Assembly in the June 1951 elections . The party won 9 of the 32 second college seats in the 1952 Territorial Assembly elections , emerging as the second-largest faction behind the Republican Party of Dahomey . In 1953 it became the Dahomeyan Democratic Movement . Maga was re-elected to the French National Assembly in 1956 . The MDD was reduced to six seats in the 1957 Territorial Assembly elections , and in August 1957, it merged with

1638-893: The Islamic faith. His education began at Parakou, where his teacher was Emile Derlin Zinsou 's father, followed by schools in Bohicon and Abomey . Maga moved to Porto Novo to be educated at the Victor Ballot School, where he remained for three years. During his subsequent schooling at the Ponty Normal School in Dakar , Maga became friends with Hamani Diori , the future president of Niger . In his twenties Maga converted to Roman Catholicism which, according to journalist Ronald Matthews, "was not so common for

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1716-633: The Syndicat des instituteurs du Dahomey (Teachers' Union of Dahomey). Maga's rise to power occurred during a period of intense regionalism, spurred by the historical resentment shared by members of the former kingdoms of Abomey , Porto Novo , and disorganised tribes from the north. Its result was the creation of three de facto tribal zones: the north, southeast, and southwest, which were led by Maga, Sourou Migan Apithy , and Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin , respectively. Maga's Ethnic Group of

1794-448: The French chef de cercle of Natitingou and a close acquaintance, encouraged Maga to form an alliance among northerners in early 1949. He wrote in a political report later that year: I have suggested to Maga that he constitute a separate group with his Northerners. He liked the idea ... Later I repeated the question. It seems again possible that Mr. Maga might constitute the group in question. He feared that Maga would lean "toward

1872-681: The French union", Maga chose Gaustin Gbaguidi as his running mate. Of the 179,119 votes cast, Maga won 60,601 and Apithy won 64,344. Later that year, he resigned from his position on the Grand Council of French West Africa . Shortly afterwards, Maga became a member of the committees on national education and on justice and legislation, and was named Secretary of the Assemblée on January 25, 1956. When Félix Gaillard became Prime Minister of France in November 1957, he appointed Maga to

1950-578: The Independents of the North party led by Paul Darboux to form the Dahomeyan Democratic Rally . This Benin -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hubert Maga Coutoucou Hubert Maga (August 10, 1916 – May 8, 2000) was a politician from Dahomey (now known as Benin ). He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region in Dahomey one lived in . Born

2028-453: The Maga administration raised certain taxes, including those on income, transportation, and permits in an attempt to balance his country's budget. He nonetheless ran into trouble in the enforcement of his plan. Throughout his first term as president, Maga toured various parts of Dahomey to bring enthusiasm to his plan, offering undeveloped land to its supporters. Despite the economic hardship,

2106-594: The Minister of the Interior; Assogba Oké to the post of Foreign Affairs; Paul Darboux to Trade and Economics; Sébastien Dassi to Agriculture; Victorien Gbaguidi to Transport and Public Works; Joseph Kekeh to Justice; René Deroux to Health and Social Affairs; Michel Ahouanmènou to Education; and Alexandre Adandé as Finance Minister. Newcomers were Bertin Borna , Labor and Civil Service; and Albert Teveodjré ,

2184-766: The National Assembly requested to suspend proceedings against him under the parliamentary immunity clauses of the Dahomey Constitution, specifically Article 37. Maga, meanwhile, was away in Paris during all of this. The people of Dahomey were outraged at Bokhiri's release. Racial clashes broke out in the summer of 1963, as the murderer and the victim were of different tribes. Demonstrations were organized in Porto Novo on October 21 and soon spread to Cotonou . They remained somewhat orderly before

2262-566: The North (later the Dahomeyan Democratic Movement ), which merged into the Dahomeyan Democratic Rally in 1957, received little support outside his northern headquarters. Even then, most of his backing came from the Bariba , while Apithy was mostly backed by the Yoruba and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, the Fon and Gouns . Regionalistic attitudes would only intensify during the rest of the political careers of

2340-514: The P.D.U. and replaced it with a Dahomeyan Democratic Party (P.D.D.). It announced that a referendum on the status of the constitution was to be held on December 15. At the same time, a committee was established to investigate alleged wrongdoings by the Maga administration. In late November it began prosecuting members of the cabinet, including the Minister of National Economy and the Finance Minister, for misusing public funds. Despite

2418-436: The P.D.U., which Maga encouraged. Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin did not share his colleagues' keenness; nevertheless, the choice was soon made for him—the U.D.D. was dissolved by Maga on April 11, and less than a week later, so were Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin's trade unions. Maga declared that the country of Dahomey "ha[d] at last been born." Since Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin was unable and unwilling to pursue a coup d'état , he decided to conspire against

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2496-470: The R.D.A. [ African Democratic Rally ]" and wanted the young politician to form a different group. The party was to become the Groupement Ethnique de Nord (Northern Ethnic Group). Maga, in an April 1968 interview, denied that Peperty ever played a part in the establishment. He claimed that he and his friends came up with the idea. In the legislative elections of June 17, 1951, when Dahomey

2574-504: The R.D.D. received 22 seats with 62,132 votes, and Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin 's Dahomey Democratic Union (U.D.D.) received 11 deputies for its 162,179 votes. What followed was described by Matthews as "an immediate explosion". Supporters of Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin took to the streets in rioting so severe that French soldiers were called in to restore order. Following mediation by Félix Houphouët-Boigny , Apithy and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin agreed to divide between them 18 contested seats in

2652-497: The Rally. This had helped bring a new political philosophy to the R.D.D., which had, up to this point, done little more than express regionalism without much of a platform. At the end of October, Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin convinced the trade unions that he controlled to begin another strike in protest against Maga's inability to promote national development, and to ensure the welfare of the working class . The strike lasted for two days in

2730-544: The bulk of the population. I refer to a truly majority party, and not an artificial coalition.  — Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin Shortly after independence, the three parties united as the Front d'Action Patriotique (Patriotic Action Front, or F.A.P.), and reorganised Dahomey into one electoral constituency. It was proposed that there would be an agreed list of electoral candidates, and that all of

2808-483: The centre of Parakou, close to the railway. It gives the Backbone Project a strategic position for imports and exports to neighbouring countries, notably Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo. The name, Parakou, is derived from a Dendi word meaning "the city of everyone", named for the city's diversity of ethnicities. As a market town attracting many people as a trading and stop-off point, Parakou has

2886-406: The cities of Porto Novo and Cotonou , and became so serious that the police used tear gas . It ended when Maga sent down faithful Northerners armed with bows and arrows to patrol the streets at night. On November 2, members of the U.D.D. organized a motion of censure in the National Assembly. Maga relied on Apithy's assistance in opposing the motion, and it was ultimately defeated. Following

2964-411: The conspiracy charge was dropped, but Maga was found guilty of corruption. In May 1964, Chabi Mama and a devoted group of Maga supporters tried to remove him from house arrest and reinstate the overthrown president back into power. Author Elisa Daggs called their campaigns "a rampage of terrorism." They grew so intense that the military was called in to quell the uprisings. At least one of their goals

3042-468: The conspiracy, and the others received sentences from one to ten years. Maga ultimately released them on November 3, 1962, saying in a broadcast that it was not only due to their good behavior in jail but also to reconcile with his former enemies. With the threat from his enemies thus removed, Maga could focus on developing the national economy. He designed a four-year growth plan, to begin on January 1, 1962, that contained many ambitious acts, though this

3120-634: The constitution on November 25. The new constitution gave the president the right to ask the National Assembly to reconsider a bill if it did not pass with two-thirds of the votes, and submit referendums. Maga assumed the powers of Commander in Chief of the Dahomeyan Army, although he did not wear its uniform until its capture of the Portuguese enclave of Ajuda on August 1, 1961. A recently passed electoral law meant that every party that stood in

3198-468: The country to prevent a civil war. He dismissed the cabinet, dissolved the Assembly, suspended the constitution, and banned any type of demonstrations. After having Maga sign his resignation the same day he gave Maga, Apithy, and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin the powers of the Ministry of State. Southern Dahomey later created a statue in honor of this day in national history. The provisional government dissolved

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3276-474: The country, but the focus of the rioting soon shifted toward Maga's problems as president. The riots became so serious that the Chief of Staff of the Dahomeyan Army, Christophe Soglo , took control of the country in October to prevent a civil war. After forcing Maga to resign, Soglo gave him, Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, and vice president Sourou Migan Apithy , the titles of Minister of State. Shortly afterwards, Maga

3354-602: The country. The U.D.D.'s newspaper, Dahomey-Matin , was shut down in February. Maga commissioned a group of people to announce news to the uneducated from the government perspective. Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin's trade unions were superseded by Maga's General Union of Dahomeyan Workers. The General Union was instantly recognized as the only representative of the General Union of Black American Workers in Dahomey. By April, most U.D.D. members had expressed their interest in joining

3432-440: The election with 80 percent of the vote, but the result was declared void because the protest prevented nearly three-quarters of the electorate from voting. This result sparked further demonstrations, and Maga, Soglo, Apithy, and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin were forbidden to enter the country, in an attempt to crack down on dissent. In the wake of further coups, politician Emile Derlin Zinsou was appointed civilian President of Dahomey by

3510-424: The election. The P.D.U. received 69 percent of the vote and all 60 seats in the National Assembly. Although the U.D.D. received 31 percent of the popular vote, it did not have a single deputy in the assembly. Maga's original cabinet resigned on December 29. He named the new ministers in his government the next day, and chose many leaders from the former R.D.D. and P.N.D. He appointed Arouna Mama as

3588-538: The eve of the elections. Fellow candidate Zinsou asserted that Maga supporters had killed one of his supporters during said incidents. Parakou Parakou [pa.ʁa.ku] is the largest city in northern Benin , and the third-largest city in the country, with an estimated population of around 206,667 people, and capital of the Borgou Department . Administratively the commune of Parakou makes up one of Benin's 77 communes. Since 2015, its mayor

3666-453: The friendly relationship between the two men, Soglo held Maga responsible for an assassination plot against him which was discovered in early December. Maga resigned his position in the provisional government on December 4, shortly before being placed under house arrest in an unidentified village. He was accompanied by a butler, a cook, and a driver. Four former cabinet members. were placed in less comfortable prisons. At an official inquiry,

3744-708: The hub of the Beninese cotton trade to this day, with considerable interest from Europe. There are several markets trading, notably the largest, Grand Marché Arzeke which one of the largest in Benin, an international market spanning over a block. This market has a large covered hall overlapping onto the streets with stalls, with 500 and 1000 vendors. The market sells an enormous range of goods from items of pottery including vases and bowls, to cotton textiles, cassettes and CD's of local and international artists, local spices, fruits, gasaru/wagasi (cow's milk cheese) and kitchen utensils. Another market, located several blocks north,

3822-535: The infrastructure and encouraging civil servants to take Dahomey as their residence. Still, Dahomey's GDP grew by 1.4 percent annually from 1957 to 1965, making Dahomey's economy one of the weakest in Africa. Meanwhile, Maga made Houphouët-Boigny recognize the R.D.D. as the Dahomeyan wing of his African Democratic Rally (R.D.A.). Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin had always believed that the U.D.D. was the sole representative of

3900-401: The legislative seats would be given to the party with the highest number of elected representatives from that list. This arrangement did not last long; Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin broke from the union and, using the discontent among people over the increasing rarity of jobs in the country, incited demonstrations that lasted from September to October 1960. He nevertheless tried to disassociate himself from

3978-549: The military on June 17, 1968. Maga, Apithy, and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin unified in Paris in opposing the appointment. They established the National Front for the Struggle of Dahomey, whose members promised "not to participate in any government, not to accept the authority of any president who is unacceptable by any of the living forces and the people of Dahomey." The triumvirate attempted another boycott of Zinsou's appointal and

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4056-1102: The most recent census in 2013, the population was 255,478. The city has a museum, the Musée en Plein Air de Parakou . Parakou is one of the 77 official communes of Benin . The mayor of the commune and city as of 2008 is Samou Seidou Adambi . The commune of Parakou contains the following villages: Amawihon , Bakaga , Bakounkparou , Bakounourou , Baperou , Bereyadou , Borarou , Darou Kourarou , Debregourou , Dokparou , Douerou , Forane Kparou , Gagbebou , Ganou , Ga Yakabou , Gommboko , Gorobani , Gouforou , Goutere , Guema , Guererou , Guinrerou , Kaborokpo , Kabro , Karobouarou , Kipare , Konkoma , Koumerou , Kperou Guera , Moundouro , Nekinparo , Nikikperou , Ouroungourou , Pepekino , Pepepeterou , Sanro , Senouorou , Sokoumeno , Sokouno , Sonoumo , Sourou , Suinrou , Tabayorourou , Tankaro , Tankaro Ga , Teougourou Gando , Tian , Tinekonparou , Tora , Tourou , Wansirou , Weria , Wore , Worora , Yakassirou Parakou

4134-580: The motion of censure's defeat, U.D.D. deputies began to resign from their jobs, and five were dismissed. They were replaced by deputies from the P.R.D. On November 13 the P.R.D. and R.D.D. officially merged to form the Dahomeyan Unity Party (P.D.U.) and Maga was elected as its leader. He created a constitution for Dahomey, styling it after that of the French Fifth Republic . The assembly, now led by Djibode Aplogan , adopted

4212-412: The new Information Minister. To prevent a backlash from the opposition, Maga and his ministers moved their offices from Porto Novo to Cotonou, where the U.D.D had received 90 percent of the vote in the recent election. In early 1961, the president began applying repressive measures on the opposition press and anyone suspected of trouble-making, thus effectively silencing Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin's voice in

4290-602: The northern road to Malanville in the Albarika quarter of the city. The market was founded by the Somba people of the Atacora , and takes place every Sunday at 10 am. The market consists of a collection of grass huts, and specialises in beef and pork and local millet beer known as choukachou or simply "chouk". Parakou is the site of a proposed inland port . The dry port is a multi-modal platform located 3 km from

4368-667: The other members of the council were imprisoned until 1981. Maga retired from public life after his release, only making an appearance at the National Conference of 1990, which gave amnesty to all Beninese political refugees. He died on May 8, 2000. Maga was born on August 10 or August 19, 1916 to a peasant family in Parakou , northern Dahomey. Maga claimed he was a descendant of the Kingdom of Bourgou 's royal family. His Bariba mother and Voltaic father raised him in

4446-521: The population voted on election day. Apithy was reelected a deputy with 53,463 votes out of 147,350 cast, while Maga captured the second seat with 49,329 and third candidate Emile Derlin Zinsou received a mere 18,410 ballots. Several smaller parties hosted several other candidates, which received the rest of the votes. Only 0.5 percent of Maga's votes came from the coastal region, while 98 percent came from northern towns and villages. The 1951 election has been cited as when regionalist parties arose, and it

4524-487: The position of Secretary of State of Labor, a post he served in until the end of the Gaillard ministry on April 15, 1958. Before the territorial elections of 1959, Maga agreed that the R.D.D. would field candidates only in the north of the country if in return Apithy's Republican Party of Dahomey (P.R.D.) ran only in the south. The result of the elections was that the P.R.D. received 37 seats with 144,038 votes,

4602-561: The president commissioned French architect Chomette to design a presidential palace. At a cost of US$ 3 million, the building dominated Cotonou's promenade on its completion in 1963. The new palace contained a golden and marble porch, mosaic stairwells, pebble dash walls, and a two-story flag outdoors. Maga decided to reshuffle the cabinet in February 1962. He added the Planning and Development duties to Apithy's office to quench his thirst for power. Nonetheless, Apithy accused Maga of being

4680-418: The president. On May 26, Albert Teveodjré notified Maga that Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin had plotted to assassinate the president. He and 11 other dissidents were arrested, and a trial date was set for December. The trial differed from many others held in Africa in that it was conducted in public, and the defendants were represented by a lawyer from Paris. Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin received five years in jail for his role in

4758-425: The rioting. In September, he claimed that a single party state was the only solution to the stagnation of the economy. Since he had recently renounced one party, he was looking for another party to lead. Dahomey faced a major economic recession. The country had not had a favorable trade balance since 1924, and now that it was independent, France no longer offered subsidies. Maga helped to counter this by investing in

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4836-439: The same would happen to any of them who opposed him on the matter. Nevertheless, a referendum on independence for Dahomey was held on September 28. It offered Dahomeyans three choices regarding the preferred political status: become a French département , join the French community and become a semi-autonomous state, or obtain full independence. The Dahomeyan people chose the second option, semi-autonomy, and full independence

4914-631: The second day of demonstrations, causing the unions to call a general strike. By the end of the second day, protesters forced the National Assembly to put Bokhiri back in jail, and the Assembly simultaneously enforced a curfew. In light of these events, Maga canceled his trip to the United States and returned to Dahomey immediately. Appealing for peace, he convened a special National Assembly session. The protesters and trade unionists were indifferent to his efforts toward reconciliation. When Maga agreed with their demands and replaced his government with

4992-415: The subsequent referendum he chose to hold. However, the plan was not successful, and he was confirmed President of Dahomey on July 28 with 76.4 percent of the electorate voting for him. On December 10, 1969, Zinsou was overthrown by Maurice Kouandété , who had installed him as president in the first place. The military, however, refused to recognize Kouandété, and as the two men could not reach agreement,

5070-643: The three men, collectively known as Dahomey's triumvirate. Maga was elected a general adviser for the Atakora region in 1945, and, two years later, was appointed to the Grand Council of French West Africa , in which he served until 1952. Following his election to the Dahomey General Council in 1947, Maga resigned his teaching post. He subsequently became vice president of the assembly until his resignation in 1957. Roger Peperty,

5148-443: The trade unionists were involved. While still led by Maga, the trade unionists were still upset by the wage cut and used the case to further their interests. In addition, they criticized what they called Maga's "squander-mania", such as the construction of a presidential palace. Most of the demonstrations were peaceful, although several demonstrators destroyed a hospital sign containing Maga's name. Six trade unionists were arrested on

5226-568: The tribalism that had characterised his country's politics. He appealed for unity among Apithy and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin supporters and encouraged investments into the economy. Foreign affairs dominated Maga's first months in office, but at home the desire for an independent Dahomey was mounting. Apithy announced on September 2, 1959, that he would remove all P.R.D. deputies from the government if Maga did not establish referendums on Dahomey's political status. Maga reacted by dismissing Apithy from his cabinet on September 18, and warning P.R.D. deputies that

5304-689: The two politicians figured that a coalition would guarantee high offices for both. Neither was to witness a political comeback on January 18, as Soglo seized power on December 22 of the previous year and refused to hold elections. More coups were to follow, and eventually the military decided to return to civilian rule. All former presidents, vice presidents, government ministers, and National Assembly presidents were disqualified from Dahomey's first election since 1964 , held on May 15, 1968, by incumbent Alphonse Amadou Alley . In response, Maga and Apithy staged protests while Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin supported an obscure candidate named Basile Adjou Moumouni . Moumouni won

5382-484: The upcoming official elections had to list candidates for all 60 National Assembly deputies, as well as for president and vice president. Maga's only presidential opponent was Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin, whose running mate was Sacca Koto Ngobi . On December 11, 1960, Maga was formally elected as president for a five-year term; he received 468,002 votes, and Apithy vice president with the same term of office. Of Dahomey's 971,012 registered voters, 71 percent voted in

5460-603: Was accomplished in March 1965 when, following a retrial, Maga was released from house arrest. He went into exile in Togo before moving to Paris. During Maga's exile, a number of coups were attempted against Presidents Soglo, Apithy, and Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin and their putschists . In order to gain power back, Maga formed a new party while in exile, the Union Nationale Dahoméenne (U.N.D.), on December 9, 1965. It

5538-425: Was allowed an additional representative in the French National Assembly , Maga ran for that office. The fact that two seats were allotted to Dahomey was only known in the last week of April. As per a May 1951 electoral law, each candidate had to give the names of another who would occupy the second seat in the event that the other party's first candidate came in third or below. Maga decided to run with Paul Darboux ,

5616-454: Was appointed to the presidency, and was officially elected to that post on December 11. During Maga's term of office, Dahomey's economy collapsed; there was little foreign investment and unemployment rose. In response, he launched a four-year plan in January 1962, the basis of which was to increase agricultural production by forcing the nation's youths to work on the land. Maga also faced

5694-435: Was convicted of plotting to assassinate Soglo and of corruption, for which he was incarcerated. Following his release in 1965, he took refuge in Togo before moving to Paris. In 1970, he returned to Dahomey to serve as head of a rotating three-man presidential council, which included Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin and Apithy. On October 26, 1972, Mathieu Kérékou was installed by a coup, overthrowing then-chairman Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin. Maga and

5772-491: Was frequently revised to be more realistic. It was designed to increase agricultural yields and was financed by French capital. Part of the plan was to cut wages by ten percent. Young Dahomeyans would contribute "human investment", or forced labor on the fields. If they failed to do so, Maga would revoke their citizenship and disqualify them from citizenship in nations in the African and Malagasy Union . To ensure against

5850-426: Was granted its independence. On Maga's return to his home country on June 13, he claimed that he had personally requested autonomy. Maga was chosen as Dahoomey's first president. Experience has shown that neither a two party nor a three party system can lead Dahomey out of its present stagnation. Only a majority party that truly represents the nation can, under the circumstances, reach decisions that are acceptable to

5928-414: Was little more than a vehicle to be recognised in the upcoming elections, to be held before January 18, 1966. Maga and Apithy banded together to protest a special session of the National Assembly on December 21, 1965, that would vote on a new constitution for Dahomey, and the session was never held. Academic Dov Ronen speculates that this was because there would be no vice-presidents in the constitution, and

6006-566: Was scheduled for 1960. The premier announced on January 1, that: On September 28, 1959, we freely chose the route of cooperation with France, within the framework of the Community. We do not contemplate and we will never contemplate leaving the Franco-African ensemble ... The choice in the future presuppose certain conditions. Given our financial and economic situation, would it be reasonable for us to assume new responsibilities at

6084-568: Was the first whose pamphlets mentioned ethnicity. In Paris, Maga affiliated himself with the Overseas Independents, a political organization led by Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal . However, he was not an ardent supporter of this organization; this lack of commitment was typical of Maga in the following years. He was named the secretary of the Finance Committee, a member of the committee on national education, and

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