Info For You Lot Felix Houphouet-Boigny: The Sage Of Africa, Cote D`Ivoire`S Offset President Together With Ane Of The Peaceful Leaders From Africa
“ We are all bound to the same destiny, Africa’s destiny as well as if nosotros tin can Pb the struggle for peace within our country, peace amongst our countries, peace amongst our countries as well as the repose of the world, nosotros volition as well as then take hold been of service to Africa.” Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Felix Houphouët-Boigny , First president of Cote d`Ivoire as well as ane of the most peaceful African leaders
Felix Houphouët-Boigny (18 Oct 1905 – 7 Dec 1993), affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux (The Old One), was a Nationalist, liberty fighter, the firstly President of Côte d'Ivoire as well as ane of the Africa`s most peaceful leaders. He was originally an ethnic Baoule master copy who was a qualified medical practitioner, an administrator of a commercial plantation, as well as a Trade Unions leader, before beingness elected to the French Parliament as well as serving inwards a number of ministerial positions inwards the French government.
From the 1940s until his death, he played a leading role inwards the decolonization of Africa as well as inwards his country's politics. In fact, from the really commencement of his term inwards the business office of French Parliament, Houphouët-Boigny was instrumental inwards promulgation of 4 Apr 1946 Law that abolished forced labour inwards all the territories of the French colonies of Black Africa. Speaking before the members gathered inwards the National Assembly he exclaimed : “I inquire you: how tin can the foundation of the French Union yesteryear the National Assembly live on reconciled with the disguised slavery of forced labour as well as its trail of suffering ?”
Though Houphouët-Boigny made history, he did non create it into history, at to the lowest degree non equally gloriously equally Nkrumah, Nyerere, Sékou Touré or Patrice Lumumba. Houphouët-Boigny is to a greater extent than frequently than non overlooked, or else dismissed equally ‘a lackey of the French.’ Unlike the higher upwards leaders who saw the dream of a “political kingdom” equally the safe haven of sovereignty, or of Pan-Africanism equally a panacea for the woes of the continent, he contended that “the dignity of one’s economical condition” was the touchstone of genuine independence.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Kwame Nkrumah of Republic of Ghana to Abidjan inwards 1957
Houphouët-Boigny hence followed a politically moderate leadership, nether which Côte d'Ivoire prospered economically to a greater extent than than her West African counterparts. As a resultant of this economical advancement which emanated from a combination of audio planning, the maintenance of strong ties with the West (particularly France), as well as evolution of the country's important java as well as cocoa industries, the West tagged Houphouët-Boigny`s politico-economic prototype equally "Ivorien Miracle." However, the exploitation of the agricultural sector caused difficulties inwards 1980, after a precipitous driblet inwards the prices of java as well as cocoa.
Throughout his presidency, Houphouët-Boigny maintained a unopen human relationship with France, a policy known equally Françafrique, as well as he built a unopen friendship with Jacques Foccart, the master copy adviser on African policy inwards the de Gaulle as well as Pompidou governments. As a resultant of this overt association as well as flirtation with the imperialist French Republic many of the Pan-Africanist leaders saw Houphouet-Boigny equally an "Imperialist Lackey."
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
On 7 June 1962, at the Royal Institute of International Affairs inwards London, he laid out his political philosophy as well as expressed his confidence inwards the 'human spirit': “We take hold ever preferred negotiation inwards all circumstances, because nosotros are convinced that a compromise acceptable to everybody tin can emerge from a confrontation of the ideas as well as interests inwards question.” In the West, Houphouët-Boigny was usually known equally the "Sage of Africa" or the "Grand Old Man of Africa," after the General Conference of UNESCO created the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize for the "safeguarding, maintaining as well as seeking of peace". UNESCO conferred on the championship the "Sage of Africa" on him. His mental attitude towards peace was exhibited when he disagreed with other Pan-Africanist leaders on using state of war to combat apartheid inwards South Africa. Arguing similar equally a political visionary he maintained that "“It is a error to think that in that location is no alternative but state of war to acquire rid of apartheid: if peace is to live on brought to Africa nosotros tin can as well as must engage inwards dialogue. In whatever event, dialogue volition live on essential ane day, whether it comes before state of war or after war. It is infinitely preferable to engage inwards dialogue equally early on equally possible inwards society to avoid war, which, as well as I cannot repeat this frequently enough, tin can never settle anything inwards our solar daytime as well as age.”
President Houphouët-Boigny addressing the nation
Houphouët-Boigny is frequently defendant yesteryear his political opponents for aiding conspirators who ousted Kwame Nkrumah from powerfulness inwards 1966, took portion inwards the coup against Mathieu Kérékou inwards 1977, as well as was suspected of involvement inwards the 1987 coup that removed Thomas Sankara from powerfulness inwards Burkina Faso.
In July 1962, he was already advocating dialogue betwixt Arabs as well as Israelis. On a see to Jerusalem, he said to his Israeli hosts: “We make non think in that location is whatever job inwards the world, no affair how hard or intractable, that cannot live on settled through negotiation.”
President Houphouët-Boigny shaking hands with some Ivoriens at Yamossoukro
His era equally Ivorien leader was largely peaceful, but after his death, weather condition inwards Côte d'Ivoire rapidly deteriorated. From 1994 until 2002, in that location were a number of coups d'état, a currency devaluation, an economical recession, and, commencement inwards 2002, a civil war.
No affair what people exterior Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as his opponents within it may say negatively almost Houphouët-Boigny, he was a human being widely admired as well as loved yesteryear many people inwards Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as international community. celebrated songs has been composed inwards his call yesteryear Ivorien renowned musicians similar Alpha Blondy as well as Freddie Meiway. Henri Konan Bédié, the onetime President of Côte d'Ivoire as well as Houphouët-Boigny`s successors has this to say almost him. "His peaceful fighting for peace amongst men as well as women volition live on continued yesteryear all Ivorians, steadfastly truthful to the retentiveness of the individual who was for us, at ane as well as the same time, the firstly President of our Republic, the begetter of our independence, the builder of our State, as well as the symbol as well as bond of our national unity. He sowed the seeds of peace, braving all the dangers. Deep inwards his heart, he cherished the constant hope to view the harvests gathered in, so that men as well as women mightiness come upwards to persevere with the solidarity required of them, similar so many ears of corn reaped inwards fields of harmony."
According to Houphouët-Boigny`s official biography, he was likely born on xviii Oct 1905, inwards Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire to a household unit of measurement of chiefs of the Baoulé people. Unofficial accounts, however, identify his nascency engagement upwards to 7 years earlier. He was born into the Traditional African religion worshiping Akouè people, who are fellow member is of the larger Baoule ethnic grouping that forms a sub-set of the larger Akan ethnic grouping inwards both Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as Ghana. He was given the call Dia Houphouët: his firstly call Dia agency "prophet" or "magician" as well as his surname came from his father, N'Doli Houphouët. Dia Houphouët was the great-nephew of Queen Yamousso as well as the hamlet chief, Kouassi N'Go. When N'Go was murdered inwards 1910, Dia was called on to succeed him equally master copy at the historic menstruum of five. However, due to his immature age, his stepfather Gbro Diby ruled equally regent, Dia's begetter having already died
State Dinner: President as well as Madame Félix Houphouët-Boigny of the Republic of the Ivory Coast
Guests greet President as well as Mrs. Kennedy, as well as President as well as Madame Houphouët-Boigny, inwards a receiving line inwards the East Room of the White House. May 22, 1962.
Houphouët-Boigny descended from tribal chiefs through his mother, Kimou N'Drive (also known equally N’Dri Kan), who died inwards 1936. Like most of the African leaders who became presidents of their nations, doubts stay equally to the identity of his father, N'Doli was a native of the N’Zipri of Didiévi tribe. N’Doli Houphouët equally reported to take hold died shortly after the nascency of his boy Augustin, although no reliable information regarding his expiry exists. As a resultant of this uncertainty has been a widespread rumours inwards Republic of Cote d'Ivoire that his begetter was a Sudanese–born Muslim named Cissé. Houphouët-Boigny had 2 elderberry sisters, Faitai (1898?-1998) as well as Adjoua (d. 1987), equally good equally younger blood brother Augustin (d. 1939).
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny Student at Dakar inwards 1925
Recognising his identify inwards the hierarchy, the colonial direction sent Houphouët to schoolhouse at the military machine post inwards Bonzi, non far from his village, despite strenuous objections from relatives, especially his great-aunt Yamousso. In 1915, he was transferred to the école primaire supérieure (secondary) at Bingerville inwards spite of his family's reluctance. The same year, at Bingerville, he converted to Christianity; he considered it a modern religion as well as an obstruction to the spread of Islam. He chose to live on christened Félix.
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny (4th from left) as well as Other Students inwards Dakar, Senegal
First inwards his class, he was accepted into the École William Ponty inwards 1919, as well as earned a teaching degree. In 1921, he attended the École de médecine de l'AOF (French West Africa School of Medicine) inwards Senegal, where he came firstly inwards his grade inwards 1925 as well as qualified equally a medical assistant. However, he never completed his studies inwards medicine as well as could only aspire to a career equally a médecin africain, a poorly paid doctor
On 26 Oct 1925, Houphouët began his career equally a doctor's aide at a infirmary inwards Abidjan, where he founded an association of indigenous medical personnel.
This project proved short-lived equally the colonial direction viewed it unsympathetically, considering it a merchandise union. As a consequence, they decided to displace Houphouët to a specially insanitary infirmary inwards Guiglo on 27 Apr 1927. After he proved his considerable talents, however, he was promoted on 17 September 1929 to a post inwards Abengourou, which until as well as then had been reserved for Europeans. At Abengourou, Houphouët witnessed the mistreatment of indigenous cocoa farmers yesteryear the colonists. In 1932, he decided to act, leading a motility of farmers against the influential white landowners as well as for the economical policies of the colonial government, who favoured the farmers. On 22 December, he published an article nether a pseudonym titled 'On nous a trop volés" (They take hold stolen besides much from us), which appeared inwards the Trait d'union, an Ivorian socialist paper which culled the original article from a Dakar-based little anti-colonial newspaper, Le Progrès colonial.
The next year, Houphouët was summoned yesteryear his tribe to assume the responsibilities of hamlet chief, but preferring to pursue his medical career, he deferred inwards favour of his younger blood brother Augustin. However, wishing to live on closer to his village, he obtained a transfer to Dimbokro on 3 Feb 1934 as well as and then to Toumodi on 28 June 1936. While Houphouët had displayed professional person qualities, his mental attitude had chafed those unopen to him. As a result, inwards September 1938, his clinical managing director demanded that he take betwixt his task equally a Dr. as well as his involvement inwards local politics. The alternative was rapidly made for him: his blood brother died inwards 1939, as well as Houphouët became chef de canton (an business office created yesteryear the colonial direction so to collect the demanded tax-quota). Due to this, he ended his medical career the side yesteryear side year. Later, colonial administrator Marc Simon would say of Houphouët-Boigny, “he dissembled a steely resolve behind mild manners, his seemingly dreamy heed never parting ways with extreme realism”. This is something the French learned to their cost. Having channelled the immature Baoulé master copy through their educational system, they had to reign inwards an aspiring youngster who was challenging the colonial hierarchy.
In 1930, Houphouët married Kady Racine Sow (1913–2006) inwards Abengourou despite the fact that he was a practising Catholic, as well as she was the missy of a wealthy Muslim from Senegal. The families of the 2 eventually overcame their opposition as well as accepted the interfaith union, the firstly ever celebrated inwards Côte d'Ivoire. The brace had v children: Felix (who died inwards infancy), Augustine, Francis, Guillaume as well as Marie, all raised equally Catholics
As a chef de canton, Houphouët assumed responsibleness for the direction of Akouè, a canton which comprised 36 villages. He also took accuse of the household unit of measurement plantation—at the fourth dimension ane of the most of import inwards the country—and worked to diversify its rubber, cocoa as well as java crops. He before long became ane of Africa's richest farmers. On 3 September 1944, he established, inwards cooperation with the colonial administration, the African Agricultural Union (Syndicat agricole africain, SAA). Under his presidency, the SAA brought together African farmers who were dissatisfied with their working weather condition as well as worked to protect their interests against those of European planters. Anti-colonialist as well as anti-racist, the organisation demanded ameliorate working conditions, higher wages, as well as the abolition of unfree labor. The union rapidly received the back upwards of nearly 20,000 plantation workers, together with that of the left-wing French administrators placed inwards business office yesteryear the Provisional Government. Its success irritated colonists to the extent that they took legal activity against Houphouët, accusing him of beingness anti-French for never seeking French citizenship. However, Houphouët befriended the Inspector Minister of the Colonies, who ordered the charges dropped. They were to a greater extent than successful inwards obtaining the replacement of the sympathetic Governor André Latrille with the hostile Governor Henry de Mauduit.
Houphouët entered electoral politics inwards August 1945, when elections for the Abidjan metropolis council were held for the firstly time. The French electoral rules established a mutual roll: one-half of the elected would take hold to live on French citizens (who were mostly Europeans) as well as the other one-half non-citizens. Houphouët reacted yesteryear creating a multi-ethnic all-African gyre with both non-citizens as well as citizens (mostly Senegalese with French citizenship). As a result, most of the African contenders withdrew as well as a large number of the French protested yesteryear abstaining, thus assuring a decisive victory for his African Bloc.
In Oct 1945, Houphouët moved onto the national political scene; the French authorities decided to correspond its colonies inwards the assemblée constituante (English: Constituent Assembly) as well as gave Côte d'Ivoire as well as Upper Volta 2 representatives inwards Parliament combined. One of these would correspond the French citizens as well as some other would correspond the indigenous population, but the suffrage was limited to less than 1% of the population. In an endeavor to block Houphouët, the governor de Mauduit supported a contender candidature, as well as provided him the total backing of the administration. Despite that as well as cheers to the SAA's strong organization, Houphouët, running for the indigenous seat, easily came firstly with a 1,000-vote majority. He failed, however, to obtain an absolute majority, due to the large number of candidates running. Houphouët emerged victorious ane time to a greater extent than inwards the minute circular of elections held on 4 Nov 1945, inwards which he narrowly defeated an Upper Voltan candidate with 12,980 votes out of a total of 31,081. At this point, he decided to add together "Boigny" to his surname, pregnant "the leading ram" or "irresistible force" inwards Baoulé as well as symbolizing his role equally a leader.
Three Republic of Cote d'Ivoire political giants: Felix Houphouet Boigny, Philippe Gregoire Yace Mamadou Coulibaly
French Political career
As MP
In taking his topographic point at the National Assembly inwards the Palais Bourbon amongst compatriots Ouezzin Coulibaly as well as Zinda Kaboré, Houphouët-Boigny had to firstly create upwards one's heed with which grouping to side, as well as he opted for the Mouvement Unifié de la Résistance (MUR), a little political party composed of Communist sympathizers but non formal members of the Communist Party. He was appointed a fellow member of the Commission des territoires d'outre-mer (Commission of Overseas Territories). During this time, he worked to implement the wishes of the SAA, inwards particular proposing a pecker to abolish forced labor—the unmarried most unpopular characteristic of French rule. The Assembly adopted this bill, known equally Loi Houphouët-Boigny, on eleven Apr 1946, greatly enhancing the author's prestige non only inwards his country. On 3 Apr 1946, Houphouët-Boigny proposed to unify labour regulations inwards the territories of Africa; this would eventually live on completed inwards 1952. Finally, on 27 September 1946, he filed a written report on earth wellness scheme of overseas territories, calling for its reformation. Houphouët-Boigny inwards his parliamentary tenure supported the thought of a union of French territories.
As the firstly constitution proposed yesteryear the Constituent Assembly was rejected yesteryear the voters, novel elections were held inwards 1946 for a minute component assembly. For these elections Houphouët-Boigny organized on ix Apr 1946, with the aid of the Groupes d'études communistes (English: Communist Study Groups), the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI), whose construction closely followed that of the SAA. It straightaway became the firstly successful independent African political party when the novel political party Houphouët-Boigny easily swept the elections with 21,099 out of 37,888 votes, his opponents obtaining only a few hundred votes each. In this he was helped yesteryear the call back of Governor Latrille, whose predecessor had been fired yesteryear the Overseas Minister Marius Moutet for his opposition to the abolition of the indigénat.
With his render to the assembly he was appointed to the Commission du règlement et du suffrage universel (Commission for Regulation of Universal Suffrage); equally secretarial assistant of the commission from 1947 to 1948, he proposed on xviii Feb 1947 to reform French West Africa (AOF), French Equatorial Africa (AEF), as well as the French territories' federal council to ameliorate correspond the African peoples. He also called for the creation of local assemblies inwards Africa so that Africans could larn how to live on autonomous.
Foundation of the RDA as well as Communist alliance
Rehabilitation as well as entry into government
In the 1951 elections, the number of seats was reduced from iii to two; spell Houphouët-Boigny soundless won a seat, the other RDA candidate, Ouezzin Coulibaly, did not. All inwards all, the RDA only garnered 67,200 of 109,759 votes inwards that election, as well as the political party inwards direct opposition to it captured a seat. On 8 August 1951, Boigny, speaking at René Pleven's inauguration equally president of the board, denied beingness the leader of a communist group; he was non believed until the RDA's 1952 affiliation with UDSR. On the 24th of that same month, Boigny delivered a contestation inwards the Assembly contesting the resultant of the elections, which he declared tainted yesteryear fraud. He also denounced what he saw equally the exploitation of overseas deputies equally "voting machines", who, equally political pawns, supported the colonial government's every action. Thereafter, Houphouët-Boigny as well as the RDA were briefly unsuccessful before their success was renewed inwards 1956; at that year's elections, the political party received 502,711 of 579,550 votes cast. From as well as then on, his human relationship with Communism was forgotten, as well as he was embraced equally a moderate. Named equally a fellow member of the Committees on Universal Suffrage (distinct from the aforementioned commission regulating said suffrage), Constitutional Laws, Rules as well as Petitions. On 1 Feb 1956, he was appointed Minister Discharging the Duties of the Presidency of the Council inwards the authorities of Guy Mollet, a post he held until thirteen June 1957. This marked the firstly fourth dimension an African was elected to such a senior topographic point inwards the French government. His principal achievement inwards this role was the creation of an organisation of Saharan regions that would aid ensure sustainability for the French Union as well as counter Moroccan territorial claims inwards the Sahara.
On 6 Nov 1957, Houphouët-Boigny became Minister of Public Health as well as Population inwards the Gaillard direction as well as attempted to reform earth wellness code. He had previously served equally Minister of State nether Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury (13 June – 6 Nov 1957).[citation needed] Following his Gaillard ministry, he was ane time to a greater extent than appointed Minister of State from xiv May 1958;– xx May 1959. In this capacity, he participated inwards the evolution of France's African policy, notably inwards the cultural domain. At his behest, the Bureau of French Overseas Students as well as the University of Dakar were created. On 4 Oct 1958, Houphouët-Boigny was ane of the signatories, along with de Gaulle, of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. The final post he held inwards French Republic was Minister-Counsellor inwards the Michel Debré government, from 23 July 1959 to nineteen May 1961.
Independence
Until the mid-1950s, French colonies inwards W as well as primal Africa were grouped within 2 federations: French Equatorial Africa (AEF) as well as French West Africa (AOF). Côte d'Ivoire was portion of the AOF, financing roughly 2 thirds of its budget. Wishing to liberate the province from the guardianship of the AOF, Houphouët-Boigny advocated an Africa made upwards of nations that would generate wealth rather than percentage poverty as well as misery.
He participated actively inwards the drafting as well as adoption of the framework of the Defferre Loi Cadre, a French legal reform which, inwards improver to granting autonomy to African colonies, would interruption the ties that bound the dissimilar territories together, giving them to a greater extent than autonomy yesteryear agency of local assemblies. The Deffere Loi Cadre was far from unanimously accepted yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny's compatriots inwards Africa: Léopold Sédar Senghor, leader of Senegal, was the firstly to verbalise out against this attempted "Balkanization" of Africa, arguing that the colonial territories "do non correspond to whatever reality: live on it geographical, economic, ethnic, or linguistic". Senghor argued that maintaining the AOF would give the territories stronger political credibility as well as would allow them to develop harmoniously equally good equally emerge equally a genuine people. This view was shared yesteryear most members of the African Democratic Rally, who backed Ahmed Sékou Touré as well as Modibo Keïta, placing Houphouët-Boigny inwards the minority at the 1957 congress inwards Bamako.
Following the adoption of the Loi Cadre reform on 23 June 1956, a territorial election was held inwards Côte d'Ivoire on 3 March 1957, inwards which the PDCI—transformed nether Houphouët-Boigny's job solid command into a political machine—won many seats. Houphouët-Boigny, who was already serving equally a government minister inwards France, equally President of the Territorial Assembly as well as equally mayor of Abidjan, chose Auguste Denise to serve equally Vice President of the Government Council of Côte d'Ivoire, fifty-fifty though Houphouët-Boigny remained, the only interlocutor inwards the colony for France. Houphouët-Boigny's popularity as well as influence inwards France's African colonies had go so pervasive that ane French mag claimed that yesteryear 1956, the politician's photograph "was inwards all the huts, on the lapels of coats, on the corsages of African women as well as fifty-fifty on the handlebars of bicycles".
President Felix Houphouët-Boigny of Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as his married adult woman Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny
On 7 Apr 1957, the Prime Minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, on a see to Côte d'Ivoire, called on all colonies inwards Africa to declare their independence; Houphouët-Boigny retorted to Nkrumah: "Your sense is rather impressive ... But due to the human relationships betwixt the French as well as the Africans, as well as because inwards the 20th century, people take hold go interdependent, nosotros considered that it would maybe live on to a greater extent than interesting to seek a novel as well as dissimilar sense than yours as well as unique inwards itself, ane of a Franco-African community based on equality as well as fraternity."
Unlike many African leaders who straightaway demanded independence, Houphouët-Boigny wished for a careful transition within the "ensemble français" because, according to him, political independence without economical independence was worthless. He also invited Nkrumah to run across upwards with him inwards 10 years to view which ane of the 2 had chosen the best approach toward independence.
On 28 September 1958 Charles de Gaulle proposed a constitutional plebiscite to the Franco-African community: the territories were given the alternative of either supporting the constitution or proclaiming their independence as well as beingness cutting off from France. For Houphouët-Boigny, the alternative was simple: "Whatever happens, Côte d'Ivoire volition go into straight to the Franco-African community. The other territories are costless to grouping betwixt themselves before joining." Only Republic of Guinea chose independence; its leader, Ahmed Sékou Touré, opposed Houphouët-Boigny, stating that his preference was "freedom inwards poverty over wealth inwards slavery". The plebiscite produced the French Community, an establishment meant to live on an association of costless republics which had jurisdiction over unusual policy, defense, currency, mutual ethnic as well as fiscal policy, as well as strategic raw materials.
Ambassador James W. Wine Talks with President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Houphouët-Boigny was determined to halt the hegemony of Senegal inwards West Africa as well as a political confrontation ensued betwixt Ivorian as well as Senegalese leaders. Houphouët-Boigny refused to participate inwards the Inter-African conference inwards Dakar on 31 Dec 1958, which was intended to lay the foundation for the Federation of Francophone African States. Although that federation was never realised, Senegal as well as Republic of Mali (known at the fourth dimension equally French Sudan) formed their ain political union, the Republic of Mali Federation. After de Gaulle allowed the Republic of Mali Federation independence inwards 1959, Houphouët-Boigny tried to sabotage the federation's efforts to wield political control; inwards cooperation with France, he managed to convince Upper Volta, Dahomey, as well as Niger to withdraw from the Republic of Mali Federation, before it collapsed inwards August 1960.
Two months after the 1958 referendum, 7 fellow member states of French West Africa, including Côte d'Ivoire, became autonomous republics within the French Community. Houphouët-Boigny had won his firstly victory against those supporting federalism. This victory established the weather condition that made the time to come "Ivorian miracle" possible, since betwixt 1957 as well as 1959, budget revenues grew yesteryear 158%, reaching 21,723,000,000 CFA francs.
Houphouet-Boigny (Center) as well as Henri Konan BEDIE inwards Washington inwards 1963 with their wives
President of Côte d'Ivoire
Early years as well as minute marriage
Houphouët-Boigny officially became the caput of the authorities of Côte d'Ivoire on 1 May 1959. Although he faced no opposition from contender parties as well as the PDCI became the de facto political party of the province inwards 1957, he was confronted yesteryear opposition from his ain government. Radical nationalists, led yesteryear Jean-Baptiste Mockey, openly opposed the government's Francophile policies. In an endeavor to solve this problem, Houphouët-Boigny decided to exile Mockey inwards September 1959, claiming that Mockey had attempted to assassinate him using voodoo inwards what Houphouët-Boigny called the "complot du chat noir" (black truthful cat conspiracy)
Houphouët-Boigny began drafting a novel constitution for Côte d'Ivoire after the country's independence from French Republic on 7 August 1960. It drew heavily from the USA Constitution inwards establishing a powerful executive branch, as well as from the Constitution of France, which limited the capacities of the legislature. He transformed the National Assembly into a mere recording theatre for bills as well as budget proposals. On 27 Nov 1960, Houphouët-Boigny was elected unopposed to the Presidency of the Republic, spell a unmarried listing of PDCI candidates was elected to the National Assembly.
Charles de Gaulle et les présidents africains (de g. à dr.): Philippe Yace (président du parlement de Côte d’Ivoire), Hamani Diori (Niger), Maurice Yameogo (Haute-Volta), Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Côte d’Ivoire), Hubert Maga (Dahomey), à l’Elysée le 08 mars 1961. (AFP
1963 was marked yesteryear a serial of alleged plots that played a decisive role inwards ultimately consolidating powerfulness inwards the hands of Houphouët-Boigny. There is no clear consensus on the unfolding of the 1963 events; inwards fact, in that location may take hold been no plot at all as well as the entire serial of events may take hold been portion of a computer program yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny to consolidate his take hold on power. Between 120 as well as 200 cloak-and-dagger trials were held inwards Yamoussoukro, inwards which key political figures—including Mockey as well as the president of the Supreme Court Ernest Boka—were implicated. There was discontent inwards the army, equally the generals grew restive next the arrest of Defense Minister Jean Konan Banny, as well as the president had to intervene personally to pacify them.
For the side yesteryear side 27 years, almost all powerfulness inwards Côte d'Ivoire was centered inwards Houphouët-Boigny. From 1965 to 1985, he was reelected unopposed to v successive five-year terms. Also every v years, a unmarried listing of PDCI candidates was returned to the National Assembly. For all intents as well as purposes, all of them were appointed yesteryear the president, since inwards his capacity equally leader of the PDCI he approved all candidates. The media were tightly controlled, as well as served mainly equally outlets for authorities propaganda. Nevertheless, Houphouët-Boigny's regime was somewhat less harsh than other authoritarian African regimes. Once he had consolidated his power, he freed political prisoners inwards 1967. Under his "unique create of paternalistic authoritarianism", Houphouët-Boigny subdued dissent yesteryear offering authorities positions instead of incarceration to his critics. As a result, according to Robert Mundt, writer of Côte d'Ivoire: Continuity as well as Change inwards a Semi-Democracy, he was never seriously challenged after 1963.
In society to foil whatever plans for a coup d'état, the president took command of the military machine as well as police, reducing their numbers from 5,300 to 3,500. Defence was entrusted to the French armed forces that, pursuant to the treaty on defence cooperation of 24 Apr 1961, were stationed at Port-Bouët as well as could intervene at Houphouët-Boigny's asking or when they considered French interests to live on threatened. They later intervened during attempts yesteryear the Sanwi monarchists to secede inwards 1959 as well as 1969, as well as ane time to a greater extent than inwards 1970, when an unauthorised political group, the Eburnian Movement, was formed as well as Houphouët-Boigny defendant its leader Kragbé Gnagbé of wishing to secede.
President Felix Houphouët-Boigny of Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as his married adult woman Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny
Houphouët-Boigny married the much younger Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny inwards 1962, having divorced his firstly married adult woman inwards 1952. The brace had no children of their own, but they adopted one: Olivier Antoine inwards 1981.
Mme Houphouet - Boigny Therese et a sa droite Mme Yacé phillipe dans les années 60
Helene Houpuhouet Boigny - Abla Pokou - was legally recognized inwards 1960 yesteryear her begetter Mister Felix Houphouet Boigny who came to Court along with his iii witnesses: his sisters Ms Faitai as well as Adjoua Houphouet boigny as well as his cousin Yao Simon Yamoussoukro's master copy of Canton (Jugement Supplétif numsber1261 – 26 AOUT 1960 – Tribunal of Toumodi – Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Court Session opened to the public). Madame Helene Houphouet Boigny is the granddaughter of the Bouale's King Nanan Kouakou Anougble II, her Mother beingness Madame Akissi Anougble. They both died inwards 1958.
The spousal human relationship was non without scandal: inwards 1958, Marie-Thérèse went on a romantic escapade inwards Italy, spell inwards 1961, Houphouët-Boigny fathered a kid (Florence, d. 2007) out of wedlock yesteryear his mistress Henriette Duvignac.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny as well as his married adult woman Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny with John F. Kennedy as well as Jackie Kennedy inwards 1962
Leadership inwards Africa
Following the representative of de Gaulle, who refused proposals for an integrated Europe, Houphouët-Boigny opposed Nkrumah's proposed USA of Africa, which called into query Côte d'Ivoire's latterly acquired national sovereignty. However, Houphouët-Boigny was non against African unity which developed on a representative yesteryear representative basis.
Félix Houphouet Boigny as well as U Thant, United Nations Secretary General inwards 1970 inwards Abidjan
On 29 May 1959, inwards cooperation with Hamani Diori (Niger), Maurice Yaméogo (Upper Volta) as well as Hubert Maga (Dahomey), Houphouët-Boigny created the Conseil de l'Entente (English: Council of Accord or Council of Understanding). This regional organisation, founded inwards society to hamper the Republic of Mali Federation, was designed with iii major functions: to allow shared direction of sure world services, such equally the port of Abidjan or the Abidjan–Niger railway line; to provide a solidarity fund accessible to fellow member countries, 90% of which was provided yesteryear Côte d'Ivoire; as well as to provide funding for diverse evolution projects through low-interest loans to fellow member states (70% of the loans were supplied yesteryear Côte d'Ivoire). In 1966, Houphouët-Boigny fifty-fifty offered to grant dual citizenship to nationals from fellow member countries of the Conseil de l'Entente, but the proffer was rapidly abandoned next pop protests.
Golda Meir with Republic of Cote d'Ivoire president Houphouet-Boigny. Photo yesteryear Courtesy of Wolfson Clore Mayer Corporation Collection
The ambitious Ivorian leader had fifty-fifty greater plans for French-speaking Africa: he intended to rally the dissimilar nations behind a large organisation whose objective was the mutual assistance of its fellow member states. The projection became a reality on 7 September 1961 with the signing of a charter giving nascency to the l'Union africaine et malgache (UAM; English: African as well as Malagasy Union), comprising 12 French-speaking countries including Léopold Sédar Senghor's Senegal. Agreements were signed inwards diverse sectors, such equally economic, military machine as well as telecommunications, which strengthened solidarity amongst Francophone states. However, the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) inwards May 1963 affected his plans: the supporters of Pan-Africanism demanded the dissolution of all regional groupings, such equally the UAM. Houphouët-Boigny reluctantly ceded, as well as transformed the UAM into the Organisation africaine et malgache de coopération économique et culturelle (English: African as well as Malagasy Organization of economical as well as cultural cooperation).
Considering the OAU a dead terminate organisation, specially since Paris was opposed to the group, Houphouët-Boigny decided to create inwards 1965 l'Organisation commune africaine et malgache (OCAM; English: African as well as Malagasy Organization), a French organisation inwards competition with the OAU. The organisation included amongst its members sixteen countries, whose aim was to interruption revolutionary ambitions inwards Africa. However, over the years, the organisation became besides subservient to France, resulting inwards the deviation of one-half of the countries.
In the mid-1970s, during times of economical prosperity, Houphouët-Boigny as well as Senghor set aside their differences as well as joined forces to thwart Nigeria, which, inwards an endeavor to established itself inwards West Africa, had created the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The 2 countered the ECOWAS yesteryear creating the Economic Community of West Africa (ECWA), which superseded the old merchandise partnerships inwards the French-speaking regions. However, after assurances from Nigeria that ECOWAS would portion inwards the same way equally the before Francophone organisations, Houphouët-Boigny as well as Senghor decided to merge their organisation into ECOWAS inwards May 1975.
Françafrique
Throughout his presidency, Houphouët-Boigny surrounded himself with French advisers, such equally Guy Nairay, Chief of Staff from 1960 to 1993, as well as Alain Belkiri, Secretary-General of the Ivorian government, whose influence extended to all areas. This type of diplomacy, which he labelled "Françafrique", allowed him to hold really unopen ties with the onetime colonial power, making Côte d'Ivoire France's primary African ally. Whenever ane province would go into an understanding with an African nation, the other would unconditionally give its support. Through this arrangement, Houphouët-Boigny built a unopen friendship with Jacques Foccart, the master copy adviser on African policy inwards the de Gaulle as well as Pompidou governments'
"Mr Africa", Jacques Foccart as well as Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-Boigny inwards Paris Nov 13, 1973. © AFP
Destabilization of revolutionary regimes
By claiming independence for Republic of Guinea through the 28 September 1958 French constitutional referendum, Ahmed Sékou Touré had non only defied de Gaulle, but also his swain African, Houphouët-Boigny. He distanced himself from Guinean officials inwards Conakry as well as the Guinean Democratic Party was excluded from the RDA. Tensions betwixt Houphouët-Boigny as well as Touré also began to rising due to the conspiracies of the French intelligence agency SDECE against the Sékou Touré regime. In Jan 1960, Houphouët-Boigny delivered little arms to onetime rebels inwards Man, Côte d'Ivoire as well as incited his council inwards 1965 to take hold to taking portion inwards an endeavor to overthrow Sékou Touré. In 1967, he promoted the creation of the Front national de libération de la Guinée (FNLG; English: National Front for the Liberation of Guinea), a reserve of men prepare to plot the downfall of Sékou Touré.
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire President Felix Houphouet-Boigny (L) as well as Kenya's President Jomo Kenyatta
Houphouët-Boigny's human relationship with Kwame Nkrumah, the leader of neighboring Ghana, degraded considerably next Guinea's independence, due to Nkrumah's fiscal as well as political back upwards for Sékou Touré. After Sékou Touré convinced Nkrumah to back upwards the secessionist Sanwi inwards Côte d'Ivoire, Houphouët-Boigny began a crusade to discredit the Ghanaian regime. He defendant Nkrumah of trying to destabilise Côte d'Ivoire inwards 1963, as well as called for the Francophone states to boycott the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) conference scheduled to take identify inwards Accra. Nkrumah was ousted from powerfulness inwards 1966 inwards a military machine coup; Houphouët-Boigny allowed the conspirators to usage Côte d'Ivoire equally a base of operations to coordinate the arrival as well as deviation of their missions.
Also inwards collaboration with Foccart, Houphouët-Boigny took portion inwards the attempted coup of sixteen Jan 1977 led yesteryear famed French mercenary Bob Denard against the revolutionary regime of Mathieu Kérékou inwards Dahomey. Houphouët-Boigny, inwards society to fighting against the Marxists inwards powerfulness inwards Angola, also lent his back upwards to Jonas Savimbi's UNITA party, whose feud with the MPLA political party led to the Angolan Civil War.
Despite his reputation equally a destabaliser of regimes, Houphouët-Boigny granted refuge to Jean-Bédel Bokassa, after the exiled Central African Republic dictator had been overthrown yesteryear French paratroopers inwards September 1979. This displace was met with international criticism, as well as thus, having go a political as well as fiscal burden to Houphouët-Boigny, Bokassa was expelled from Côte d'Ivoire inwards 1983.
Houphouët-Boigny walking with Habib Bourguiba during Ivory Coast`s independence
Alignment with France
Houphouët-Boigny was a player inwards the Nov 1960 Congo Crisis, during which the United Nations tried to take Democratic Congo-Brazzaville from the influence of the left-wing Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. The Ivorian leader supported President Joseph Kasa-Vubu, an opponent of Lumumba, as well as followed French Republic inwards supporting the controversial Congolese Prime Minister Moise Tshombe. Tshombe, disliked yesteryear much of Africa, was passionately defended yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny as well as was fifty-fifty invited into OCAM inwards May 1965. After the overthrow of Kasa-Vubu yesteryear General Mobutu inwards Nov 1965, the Ivorian president supported, inwards 1967, a computer program proposed yesteryear the French cloak-and-dagger service which aimed to convey the deposed Congolese leader dorsum into power. The functioning was a failure. In response, Houphouët-Boigny decided to boycott the 4th annual summit of the OAU held inwards September 1967 inwards Kinshasa.
Houphouët-Boigny was also a major contributor to the political tensions inwards Biafra. Considering Nigeria a potential danger to French-influenced African states, Foccart sent Houphouët-Boigny as well as Lieutenant-Colonel Raymond Bichelot on a mission inwards 1963 to monitor political developments inwards the country. The chance to weaken the onetime British colony presented itself inwards May 1967, when Biafra, led yesteryear Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, undertook to secede from Nigeria. French-aligned African countries supported the secessionists who, provided with mercenaries as well as weapons yesteryear Jean Mauricheau-Beaupré, began a civil war. By the terminate of the 1960s, French-supported nations of a abrupt as well as openly distanced themselves from French Republic as well as Côte d'Ivoire's topographic point on the civil war. Isolated on the international scene, both countries decided to suspend their assistance to Ojukwu, who eventually went into exile inwards Côte d'Ivoire.
At the asking of Paris, Houphouet-Boigny began forging relations with South Africa inwards Oct 1970, justifying his mental attitude yesteryear stating that "[t]he problems of racial discrimination, so painful, so distressing, so revolting to our dignity of Negros, must non live on resolved, nosotros believe, yesteryear force." He fifty-fifty proposed to the OAU inwards June 1971 that they follow his lead. In spite of receiving some support, his proposal was rejected. This refusal did not, however, foreclose him from continuing his attempts to approach the Pretoria regime. His attempts bore fruit inwards Oct of that year, when a semi-official coming together betwixt a delegation of high plane Ivorian officials as well as South African Prime Minister B. J. Vorster was held inwards the working capital missive of the alphabet of South Africa. Moreover, mindful of the Communist influence inwards Africa, he met Vorster inwards Geneva inwards 1977, after the Soviet Union as well as Republic of Cuba tried to collectively spread their influence inwards Republic of Angola as well as Ethiopia. Relations with South Africa continued on an official footing until the terminate of his presidency.
President Houphouet-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire as well as the President of the Republic of Republic of Cameroon El Hady Amadou Ahidjo
Houphouët-Boigny as well as Thomas Sankara, the leader of Burkina Faso, had a highly turbulent relationship. Tensions reached their climax inwards 1985 when Côte d'Ivoire Burkinabés defendant authorities of beingness involved inwards a conspiracy to forcibly recruit immature students to preparation camps inwards Libya. Houphouët-Boigny responded yesteryear inviting the dissident Jean-Claude Kamboulé to take refuge inwards Côte d'Ivoire so that he could organise opposition to the Sankara regime. In 1987, Sankara was overthrown as well as assassinated inwards a coup. The coup may take hold had French involvement, since the Sankara regime had fallen into disfavour inwards France. Houphouët-Boigny was also suspected of involvement inwards the coup as well as inwards November, the PDCI asked the authorities to ban the sale of Jeune Afrique next its allegations that Houphouët-Boigny had participated inwards the coup. The Ivorian president would take hold greatly benefited from the divisions inwards the Burkina Faso government, so he contacted Blaise Compaoré, the second-most powerful human being inwards the regime. It is believed that they worked inwards conjunction with the President of French Republic François Mitterrand, Laurent Dona Fologo, Robert Guéï as well as Pierre Ouédraogo to overthrow the Sankara regime.
Jacques Chirac as well as Felix Houphouet-Boigny
Besides supporting policies pursued yesteryear France, Houphouët-Boigny also influenced their actions inwards Africa. He pushed French Republic to back upwards as well as provide arms to warlord Charles Taylor's rebels during the First Liberian Civil War inwards hopes of receiving some of the country's assets as well as resources after the war
Opposition to the Soviet Union as well as China Anne McClainrom the fourth dimension of Côte d'Ivoire's independence, Houphouët-Boigny considered the Soviet Union as well as China "malevolent" influences on developing countries. He did non found diplomatic relations with Moscow until 1967 as well as and then severed them inwards 1969 next allegations of direct Soviet back upwards to a 1968 educatee protestation at the National University of Côte d'Ivoire. The 2 countries did non restore ties until Feb 1986, yesteryear which fourth dimension Houphouët-Boigny had embraced a to a greater extent than active unusual policy reflecting his quest for greater international recognition.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo (left)
Houphouët-Boigny was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than outspoken inwards his criticism of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He voiced fears of an "invasion" yesteryear the Chinese as well as a subsequent colonisation of Africa. He was especially concerned that Africans would view the problems of evolution inwards China equally analogous to those of Africa, as well as view China's solutions equally appropriate to sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, Côte d'Ivoire was ane of the final countries to normalise relations with China, doing so on 3 March 1983. Under the regulation demanded yesteryear Beijing for "one China", the recognition yesteryear Côte d'Ivoire of the PRC effectively disestablished diplomatic relations betwixt Abidjan as well as Taiwan.
Houphouët-Boigny with Haile Selasie during Ivory Coast`s independence inwards Abidjan
Economic policies inwards the 1960s as well as 1970s
Houphouët-Boigny adopted a scheme of economical liberalism inwards Côte d'Ivoire inwards society to obtain the trust as well as confidence of unusual investors, most notably the French. The advantages granted yesteryear the investment laws he established inwards 1959 allowed unusual job concern to repatriate upwards to 90% of their profits inwards their province of beginning (the remaining 10% was reinvested inwards Côte d'Ivoire). He also developed an agenda for modernising the country's infrastructure, for example, edifice an American-style job concern district inwards Abidjan where five-star hotels as well as resorts welcomed tourists as well as businessmen. Côte d'Ivoire experienced economical growth of 11–12% from 1960 to 1965. The country's gross domestic production (GDP) grew twelvefold betwixt 1960 as well as 1978, from 145 to 1,750 billion CFA francs, spell the merchandise remainder continued to tape a surplus.
Houphouët-Boigny at FAO caput office
The beginning of this economical success stemmed from the president's determination to focus on the primary sector of the economy, rather than the secondary sector. As a result, the agricultural sector experienced important development: betwixt 1960 as well as 1970, cocoa cultivators tripled their production to 312,000 tonnes as well as java production rose yesteryear nearly 50%, from 185,500 to 275,000 tonnes. As a resultant of this economical prosperity, Côte d'Ivoire saw an influx of immigrants from other West African countries; the unusual workforce—mostly Burkinabés—who maintained indigenous plantations, represented over a quarter of the Ivorian population yesteryear 1980. Both Ivorians as well as foreigners began referring to Houphouët-Boigny equally the "Sage of Africa" for performing what became known equally "Ivorian miracle". He was also respectfully nicknamed "The Old One" (Le Vieux).
However, the economical scheme developed inwards cooperation with French Republic was far from perfect. As Houphouët-Boigny described it, the economic scheme of Côte d'Ivoire experienced "growth without development". The growth of the economic scheme depended on capital, initiatives as well as a fiscal framework from investors abroad; it had non go independent or self-sustaining.
Houphouët-Boigny
Crisis inwards Côte d'Ivoire
Economy on the brink of collapse
Beginning inwards 1978, the economic scheme of Côte d'Ivoire experienced a serious decline due to the precipitous downturn inwards international marketplace topographic point prices of java as well as cocoa. The decline was perceived equally fleeting, since its impact on planters was buffered yesteryear the Caistab, the agricultural marketing board, which ensured them a livable income. The side yesteryear side year, inwards society to comprise a abrupt driblet inwards the prices of exported goods, Houphouët-Boigny raised prices to resist international tariffs on raw materials. However, yesteryear applying only this solution, Côte d'Ivoire lost to a greater extent than than 700 billion CFA francs betwixt 1980 as well as 1982. From 1983 to 1984, Côte d'Ivoire savage victim to a drought that ravaged nearly 400,000 hectares of woods as well as 250,000 hectares of java as well as cocoa plants. To address this problem, Houphouët-Boigny travelled to London to negotiate an understanding on java as well as cocoa prices with traders as well as industrialists; yesteryear 1984, the understanding had fallen apart as well as Côte d'Ivoire was engulfed inwards a major fiscal crisis.
Even the production of the offshore fossil oil drilling as well as petrochemical industries, developed to furnish the Caistab, was affected yesteryear the 1986 worldwide economical recession. Côte d'Ivoire, which had bought planters' harvests for double the marketplace topographic point price, savage into heavy debt. By May 1987, the unusual debt had reached US$10 billion, prompting Houphouët-Boigny to suspend payments of the debt. Refusing to sell off its furnish of cocoa, the province unopen downwards its exports inwards July as well as forced world rates to increase.
Président Félix Houphouët-Boigny chatting with Alassane Ouattara
However, this "embargo" failed. In Nov 1989, Houphouët-Boigny liquidated his enormous stock of cocoa to large businesses to jump-start the economy. Gravely sick at this time, he named a Prime Minister (the post was unoccupied since 1960), Alassane Ouattara, who established a serial of belt-tightening economical measures to convey the province out of debt.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny as well as Habib Bourguiba inwards Tunisia inwards 1968.
Social tensions
The full general atmosphere of enrichment as well as satisfaction during the menstruum of economical growth inwards Côte d'Ivoire made it possible for Houphouët-Boigny to hold as well as command internal political tensions;his easy-going dictatorship, where political prisoners were almost nonexistent, was good accepted yesteryear the population. However, the economical crisis that began inwards the 1980s caused a precipitous decline inwards living weather condition for the middle grade as well as underprivileged urban populations. According to the World Bank, the population living below the poverty threshold went from 11% inwards 1985 to 31% yesteryear 1993. Despite the implementation of sure measures, such equally the reduction of the number of immature French workers (who worked abroad spell serving inwards the military) from 3,000 to 2,000 inwards 1986, allowing many jobs to go to immature Ivorian graduates, the authorities failed to command the rising rates of unemployment as well as bankruptcy inwards many companies.
First President Félix Houphouët Boigny inwards primal apparently costume. His married adult woman Teresa is on the far left. On his right, the minute president Henri Konan Bédié as well as his married adult woman who volition live on displaced yesteryear the firstly coup d'etat of Dec 24, 1999.
Strong social agitations shook the country, creating insecurity. The reason forces mutinied inwards 1990 as well as 1992, as well as on 2 March 1990, protesters organized bulk demonstrations inwards the streets of Abidjan with slogans such equally "thief Houphouët" as well as "corrupt Houphouët". These pop demonstrations prompted the president to launch a scheme of democratization on 31 May, inwards which he authorised political pluralism as well as merchandise unions.
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny with Mossi chief, Naba Moro of Burkina Faso
Opposition
Laurent Gbagbo gained recognition equally ane of the principal instigators of the educatee demonstrations during the protests against Houphouët-Boigny's authorities on ix Feb 1982, which led to the closing of the universities as well as other educational institutions. Shortly thereafter, his married adult woman as well as he formed what would go the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI). Gbagbo went into exile inwards French Republic later that year, where he promoted the FPI as well as its political platforms.
Although the FPI was ideologically similar to the Unified Socialist Party, the French socialist authorities tried to ignore Gbagbo's political party to delight Houphouët-Boigny. After a lengthy appeal process, Gbagbo obtained status equally a political refugee inwards French Republic inwards 1985. However, the French authorities attempted to pressure level him into returning to Côte d'Ivoire, equally Houphouët-Boigny had begun to worry almost Gbagbo's developing a network of contacts, as well as believed "his stirring opponent would live on less of a threat inwards Abidjan than inwards Paris".
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny inwards 1990 as well as opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo inwards Abidjan
In 1988, Gbagbo returned from exile to Côte d'Ivoire after Houphouët-Boigny implicitly granted him forgiveness yesteryear declaring that "the tree did non acquire angry at the bird". In 1990, Houphouët-Boigny legalised opposition parties. On 28 October, a presidential election was held, which for the firstly fourth dimension featured a candidate other than Houphouët-Boigny: Gbagbo. He highlighted the President's age, suggesting that he was besides old for a 7th five-year term. Houphouët-Boigny countered yesteryear broadcasting tv set footage of his youth, as well as he was re-elected to a 7th term with 2,445,365 votes to 548,441.
Displays of wealth
During his presidency, Houphouët-Boigny benefited greatly from the wealth of Côte d'Ivoire; yesteryear the fourth dimension of his expiry inwards 1993, his personal wealth was estimated to live on betwixt US$7 as well as $11 billion. With regards to his large fortune, Houphouët-Boigny said inwards 1983, "People are surprised that I similar gold. It's only that I was born inwards it." The Ivorian leader acquired a dozen properties inwards the metropolitan expanse of Paris (including Hotel Masseran on Masseran Street inwards the 7th arrondissement of Paris), a holding inwards Castel Gandolfo inwards Italy, as well as a theatre inwards Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland. He owned existent estate companies, such equally Grand Air SI, SI Picallpoc as well as Interfalco, as well as had many shares inwards prestigious jewelry as well as watchmaking companies, such equally Piaget SA as well as Harry Winston. He placed his fortune inwards Switzerland, ane time asking if "there is whatever serious human being on reason non stocking parts of his fortune inwards Switzerland".
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sculpture LARP President Felix Houphouet-Boigny
In 1983, Houphouët-Boigny moved the working capital missive of the alphabet from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro. There, at the expense of the state, he built many buildings such equally the Institute Polytechnique as well as an international airport. The most luxurious projection was the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, which is currently the largest church building inwards the world, with an expanse of 30,000 foursquare metres (320,000 sq ft) as well as a summit of 158 metres (518 ft). Personally financed yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny, construction for the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace was carried out yesteryear the Lebanese architect Pierre Fakhoury at a total cost of almost US$150–200 million. Houphouët-Boigny offered it to Pope John Paul II equally a "personal gift"; the latter, after having unsuccessfully requested it beingness shorter than St. Peter's inwards Rome, consecrated it all the same on 10 September 1990. Due to a collapse of the national economic scheme coupled with lavish amounts spent on its construction, the Basilica was criticized: it was called "the basilica inwards the bush" yesteryear several western intelligence agencies.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Moussa Traore of Republic of Mali (foreground) inwards Bamako
Death as well as legacy
Succession as well as death
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny with kids
The political, social, as well as economical crises also touched the number of who would succeed Houphouët-Boigny equally caput of state. After severing ties with his onetime political heir Philippe Yacé inwards 1980, who, equally president of the National Assembly, was entitled to practise the total functions of President of the Republic if the Head of State was incapacitated or absent, Houphouët-Boigny delayed equally much equally he could inwards officially designating a successor. The president's wellness became increasingly fragile, with Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara administering the province from 1990 onwards, spell the president was hospitalised inwards France. There was a struggle for power, which ended when Houphouët-Boigny rejected Ouattara inwards favour of Henri Konan Bédié, the President of the National Assembly. In Dec 1993, Houphouët-Boigny, terminally sick with prostate cancer, was urgently flown dorsum to Côte d'Ivoire so he could go there. He was kept on life back upwards to ensure that the final dispositions concerning his succession were defined. After his household unit of measurement consented, Houphouët-Boigny was disconnected from life back upwards at 6:35 am GMT on 7 December. At the fourth dimension of his death, Houphouët-Boigny was the longest-serving leader inwards Africa as well as the tertiary inwards the world, after Fidel Castro of Republic of Cuba as well as Kim Il Sung of North Korea.
Houphouët-Boigny left no written volition or legacy written report for Côte d'Ivoire upon his expiry inwards 1993. His recognised heirs, especially Helena, led a battle against the authorities to recover portion of the vast fortune Houphouët-Boigny had left, which she claimed was "private" as well as did non belong to the State.
Funeral
Following Houpouët-Boigny's death, the country's stability was maintained, equally seen yesteryear his impressive funeral on 7 Feb 1994. The funeral for this "doyen of francophone Africa" was held inwards the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, with 7,000 guests within the edifice as well as tens of thousands outside. The two-month delay before Houpouët-Boigny's funeral, mutual amongst members of the Baoule ethnic group, allowed for many ceremonies preceding his burial. The president's funeral featured many traditional African funerary customs, including a large chorus dressed inwards brilliant batik dresses singing "laagoh budji gnia" (Baoulé: "Lord, it is yous who has made all things") as well as hamlet chiefs displaying strips of kente as well as korhogo cloth. Baoulés are traditionally buried with objects they enjoyed spell alive; Houpouët-Boigny's family, however, did non province what, if anything, they would bury with him.
Over 140 countries as well as international organisations sent delegates to the funeral. However, according to The New York Times, many Ivorians were disappointed yesteryear the poor attendance of several key allies, most notably the United States. The little USA delegation was led yesteryear Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary as well as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs George Moose. In contrast, Houphouët-Boigny's unopen personal ties with French Republic were reflected inwards the large French delegation, which included President François Mitterrand; Prime Minister Édouard Balladur; the presidents of the National Assembly as well as of the Senate, Philippe Séguin as well as René Monory; onetime President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing; Jacques Chirac; his friend Jacques Foccart; as well as vi onetime Prime Ministers. According to The New York Times, "Houphouët-Boigny's expiry is non only the terminate of a political era here, but maybe equally good the terminate of the unopen French-African human relationship that he came to symbolize.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize
To found his legacy equally a human being of peace, Houphouët-Boigny created an honour inwards 1989, sponsored yesteryear UNESCO as well as funded only yesteryear extra-budgetary resources provided yesteryear the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Foundation, to honor those who search for peace. The prize is "named after President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the doyen of African Heads of State as well as a tireless advocate of peace, concord, companionship as well as dialogue to solve all conflicts both within as well as betwixt States".
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as King Hassan II of Kingdom of Morocco (foreground) inwards Rabat
It is awarded annually along with a banking company check for €122,000, yesteryear an international jury composed of eleven persons from v continents, led yesteryear onetime USA Secretary of State as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger. The prize was firstly awarded inwards 1991 to Nelson Mandela, president of the African National Congress, as well as Frederik Willem de Klerk, president of the Republic of South Africa, as well as has been awarded each twelvemonth since, with the exception of 2001 as well as 2004.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Nelson Mandela (left) EN 1990 Yamoussoukro
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_Houphou%C3%ABt-Boigny
http://untilourindependence.com/tag/felix-houphouet-boigny/
Shimon Peres, as well as Félix Houphouët-Boigny,
Eisenhower greets Premier Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coas
Sir James Richard Marie Mancham Founding President of the Republic of Republic of Seychelles as well as the President of the Global Peace Council of the Universal Peace Federation with the belatedly President of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire Houphouet Boigny inwards Geneva
Felix Houphouët-Boigny , First president of Cote d`Ivoire as well as ane of the most peaceful African leaders
Felix Houphouët-Boigny (18 Oct 1905 – 7 Dec 1993), affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux (The Old One), was a Nationalist, liberty fighter, the firstly President of Côte d'Ivoire as well as ane of the Africa`s most peaceful leaders. He was originally an ethnic Baoule master copy who was a qualified medical practitioner, an administrator of a commercial plantation, as well as a Trade Unions leader, before beingness elected to the French Parliament as well as serving inwards a number of ministerial positions inwards the French government.
Houphouët-Boigny inwards French Republic equally Member of french Parliament
Though Houphouët-Boigny made history, he did non create it into history, at to the lowest degree non equally gloriously equally Nkrumah, Nyerere, Sékou Touré or Patrice Lumumba. Houphouët-Boigny is to a greater extent than frequently than non overlooked, or else dismissed equally ‘a lackey of the French.’ Unlike the higher upwards leaders who saw the dream of a “political kingdom” equally the safe haven of sovereignty, or of Pan-Africanism equally a panacea for the woes of the continent, he contended that “the dignity of one’s economical condition” was the touchstone of genuine independence.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Kwame Nkrumah of Republic of Ghana to Abidjan inwards 1957
Houphouët-Boigny hence followed a politically moderate leadership, nether which Côte d'Ivoire prospered economically to a greater extent than than her West African counterparts. As a resultant of this economical advancement which emanated from a combination of audio planning, the maintenance of strong ties with the West (particularly France), as well as evolution of the country's important java as well as cocoa industries, the West tagged Houphouët-Boigny`s politico-economic prototype equally "Ivorien Miracle." However, the exploitation of the agricultural sector caused difficulties inwards 1980, after a precipitous driblet inwards the prices of java as well as cocoa.
Throughout his presidency, Houphouët-Boigny maintained a unopen human relationship with France, a policy known equally Françafrique, as well as he built a unopen friendship with Jacques Foccart, the master copy adviser on African policy inwards the de Gaulle as well as Pompidou governments. As a resultant of this overt association as well as flirtation with the imperialist French Republic many of the Pan-Africanist leaders saw Houphouet-Boigny equally an "Imperialist Lackey."
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
On 7 June 1962, at the Royal Institute of International Affairs inwards London, he laid out his political philosophy as well as expressed his confidence inwards the 'human spirit': “We take hold ever preferred negotiation inwards all circumstances, because nosotros are convinced that a compromise acceptable to everybody tin can emerge from a confrontation of the ideas as well as interests inwards question.” In the West, Houphouët-Boigny was usually known equally the "Sage of Africa" or the "Grand Old Man of Africa," after the General Conference of UNESCO created the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize for the "safeguarding, maintaining as well as seeking of peace". UNESCO conferred on the championship the "Sage of Africa" on him. His mental attitude towards peace was exhibited when he disagreed with other Pan-Africanist leaders on using state of war to combat apartheid inwards South Africa. Arguing similar equally a political visionary he maintained that "“It is a error to think that in that location is no alternative but state of war to acquire rid of apartheid: if peace is to live on brought to Africa nosotros tin can as well as must engage inwards dialogue. In whatever event, dialogue volition live on essential ane day, whether it comes before state of war or after war. It is infinitely preferable to engage inwards dialogue equally early on equally possible inwards society to avoid war, which, as well as I cannot repeat this frequently enough, tin can never settle anything inwards our solar daytime as well as age.”
President Houphouët-Boigny addressing the nation
Houphouët-Boigny is frequently defendant yesteryear his political opponents for aiding conspirators who ousted Kwame Nkrumah from powerfulness inwards 1966, took portion inwards the coup against Mathieu Kérékou inwards 1977, as well as was suspected of involvement inwards the 1987 coup that removed Thomas Sankara from powerfulness inwards Burkina Faso.
In July 1962, he was already advocating dialogue betwixt Arabs as well as Israelis. On a see to Jerusalem, he said to his Israeli hosts: “We make non think in that location is whatever job inwards the world, no affair how hard or intractable, that cannot live on settled through negotiation.”
Houphouët-Boigny maintained an ardently anti-communist unusual policy, which resulted in, amongst other things, severing diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union inwards 1969 (after firstly establishing relations inwards 1967) as well as reestablishing them inwards Feb 1986, refusing to recognise the People's Republic of China until 1983, as well as providing assistance to UNITA, a United States-supported, anti-communist rebel motility inwards Angola.
Houphouët-Boigny moved the country's working capital missive of the alphabet from Abidjan to his hometown of Yamoussoukro as well as built the world's largest church building there, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, at a cost of US$300 million. At the fourth dimension of his death, he was the longest-serving leader inwards Africa's history as well as the tertiary longest-serving leader inwards the world, after Fidel Castro of Republic of Cuba as well as Kim Il-sung of North Korea.President Houphouët-Boigny shaking hands with some Ivoriens at Yamossoukro
His era equally Ivorien leader was largely peaceful, but after his death, weather condition inwards Côte d'Ivoire rapidly deteriorated. From 1994 until 2002, in that location were a number of coups d'état, a currency devaluation, an economical recession, and, commencement inwards 2002, a civil war.
No affair what people exterior Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as his opponents within it may say negatively almost Houphouët-Boigny, he was a human being widely admired as well as loved yesteryear many people inwards Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as international community. celebrated songs has been composed inwards his call yesteryear Ivorien renowned musicians similar Alpha Blondy as well as Freddie Meiway. Henri Konan Bédié, the onetime President of Côte d'Ivoire as well as Houphouët-Boigny`s successors has this to say almost him. "His peaceful fighting for peace amongst men as well as women volition live on continued yesteryear all Ivorians, steadfastly truthful to the retentiveness of the individual who was for us, at ane as well as the same time, the firstly President of our Republic, the begetter of our independence, the builder of our State, as well as the symbol as well as bond of our national unity. He sowed the seeds of peace, braving all the dangers. Deep inwards his heart, he cherished the constant hope to view the harvests gathered in, so that men as well as women mightiness come upwards to persevere with the solidarity required of them, similar so many ears of corn reaped inwards fields of harmony."
According to Houphouët-Boigny`s official biography, he was likely born on xviii Oct 1905, inwards Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire to a household unit of measurement of chiefs of the Baoulé people. Unofficial accounts, however, identify his nascency engagement upwards to 7 years earlier. He was born into the Traditional African religion worshiping Akouè people, who are fellow member is of the larger Baoule ethnic grouping that forms a sub-set of the larger Akan ethnic grouping inwards both Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as Ghana. He was given the call Dia Houphouët: his firstly call Dia agency "prophet" or "magician" as well as his surname came from his father, N'Doli Houphouët. Dia Houphouët was the great-nephew of Queen Yamousso as well as the hamlet chief, Kouassi N'Go. When N'Go was murdered inwards 1910, Dia was called on to succeed him equally master copy at the historic menstruum of five. However, due to his immature age, his stepfather Gbro Diby ruled equally regent, Dia's begetter having already died
State Dinner: President as well as Madame Félix Houphouët-Boigny of the Republic of the Ivory Coast
Guests greet President as well as Mrs. Kennedy, as well as President as well as Madame Houphouët-Boigny, inwards a receiving line inwards the East Room of the White House. May 22, 1962.
Houphouët-Boigny descended from tribal chiefs through his mother, Kimou N'Drive (also known equally N’Dri Kan), who died inwards 1936. Like most of the African leaders who became presidents of their nations, doubts stay equally to the identity of his father, N'Doli was a native of the N’Zipri of Didiévi tribe. N’Doli Houphouët equally reported to take hold died shortly after the nascency of his boy Augustin, although no reliable information regarding his expiry exists. As a resultant of this uncertainty has been a widespread rumours inwards Republic of Cote d'Ivoire that his begetter was a Sudanese–born Muslim named Cissé. Houphouët-Boigny had 2 elderberry sisters, Faitai (1898?-1998) as well as Adjoua (d. 1987), equally good equally younger blood brother Augustin (d. 1939).
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny Student at Dakar inwards 1925
Recognising his identify inwards the hierarchy, the colonial direction sent Houphouët to schoolhouse at the military machine post inwards Bonzi, non far from his village, despite strenuous objections from relatives, especially his great-aunt Yamousso. In 1915, he was transferred to the école primaire supérieure (secondary) at Bingerville inwards spite of his family's reluctance. The same year, at Bingerville, he converted to Christianity; he considered it a modern religion as well as an obstruction to the spread of Islam. He chose to live on christened Félix.
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny (4th from left) as well as Other Students inwards Dakar, Senegal
First inwards his class, he was accepted into the École William Ponty inwards 1919, as well as earned a teaching degree. In 1921, he attended the École de médecine de l'AOF (French West Africa School of Medicine) inwards Senegal, where he came firstly inwards his grade inwards 1925 as well as qualified equally a medical assistant. However, he never completed his studies inwards medicine as well as could only aspire to a career equally a médecin africain, a poorly paid doctor
On 26 Oct 1925, Houphouët began his career equally a doctor's aide at a infirmary inwards Abidjan, where he founded an association of indigenous medical personnel.
This project proved short-lived equally the colonial direction viewed it unsympathetically, considering it a merchandise union. As a consequence, they decided to displace Houphouët to a specially insanitary infirmary inwards Guiglo on 27 Apr 1927. After he proved his considerable talents, however, he was promoted on 17 September 1929 to a post inwards Abengourou, which until as well as then had been reserved for Europeans. At Abengourou, Houphouët witnessed the mistreatment of indigenous cocoa farmers yesteryear the colonists. In 1932, he decided to act, leading a motility of farmers against the influential white landowners as well as for the economical policies of the colonial government, who favoured the farmers. On 22 December, he published an article nether a pseudonym titled 'On nous a trop volés" (They take hold stolen besides much from us), which appeared inwards the Trait d'union, an Ivorian socialist paper which culled the original article from a Dakar-based little anti-colonial newspaper, Le Progrès colonial.
The next year, Houphouët was summoned yesteryear his tribe to assume the responsibilities of hamlet chief, but preferring to pursue his medical career, he deferred inwards favour of his younger blood brother Augustin. However, wishing to live on closer to his village, he obtained a transfer to Dimbokro on 3 Feb 1934 as well as and then to Toumodi on 28 June 1936. While Houphouët had displayed professional person qualities, his mental attitude had chafed those unopen to him. As a result, inwards September 1938, his clinical managing director demanded that he take betwixt his task equally a Dr. as well as his involvement inwards local politics. The alternative was rapidly made for him: his blood brother died inwards 1939, as well as Houphouët became chef de canton (an business office created yesteryear the colonial direction so to collect the demanded tax-quota). Due to this, he ended his medical career the side yesteryear side year. Later, colonial administrator Marc Simon would say of Houphouët-Boigny, “he dissembled a steely resolve behind mild manners, his seemingly dreamy heed never parting ways with extreme realism”. This is something the French learned to their cost. Having channelled the immature Baoulé master copy through their educational system, they had to reign inwards an aspiring youngster who was challenging the colonial hierarchy.
In 1930, Houphouët married Kady Racine Sow (1913–2006) inwards Abengourou despite the fact that he was a practising Catholic, as well as she was the missy of a wealthy Muslim from Senegal. The families of the 2 eventually overcame their opposition as well as accepted the interfaith union, the firstly ever celebrated inwards Côte d'Ivoire. The brace had v children: Felix (who died inwards infancy), Augustine, Francis, Guillaume as well as Marie, all raised equally Catholics
As a chef de canton, Houphouët assumed responsibleness for the direction of Akouè, a canton which comprised 36 villages. He also took accuse of the household unit of measurement plantation—at the fourth dimension ane of the most of import inwards the country—and worked to diversify its rubber, cocoa as well as java crops. He before long became ane of Africa's richest farmers. On 3 September 1944, he established, inwards cooperation with the colonial administration, the African Agricultural Union (Syndicat agricole africain, SAA). Under his presidency, the SAA brought together African farmers who were dissatisfied with their working weather condition as well as worked to protect their interests against those of European planters. Anti-colonialist as well as anti-racist, the organisation demanded ameliorate working conditions, higher wages, as well as the abolition of unfree labor. The union rapidly received the back upwards of nearly 20,000 plantation workers, together with that of the left-wing French administrators placed inwards business office yesteryear the Provisional Government. Its success irritated colonists to the extent that they took legal activity against Houphouët, accusing him of beingness anti-French for never seeking French citizenship. However, Houphouët befriended the Inspector Minister of the Colonies, who ordered the charges dropped. They were to a greater extent than successful inwards obtaining the replacement of the sympathetic Governor André Latrille with the hostile Governor Henry de Mauduit.
Houphouët entered electoral politics inwards August 1945, when elections for the Abidjan metropolis council were held for the firstly time. The French electoral rules established a mutual roll: one-half of the elected would take hold to live on French citizens (who were mostly Europeans) as well as the other one-half non-citizens. Houphouët reacted yesteryear creating a multi-ethnic all-African gyre with both non-citizens as well as citizens (mostly Senegalese with French citizenship). As a result, most of the African contenders withdrew as well as a large number of the French protested yesteryear abstaining, thus assuring a decisive victory for his African Bloc.
In Oct 1945, Houphouët moved onto the national political scene; the French authorities decided to correspond its colonies inwards the assemblée constituante (English: Constituent Assembly) as well as gave Côte d'Ivoire as well as Upper Volta 2 representatives inwards Parliament combined. One of these would correspond the French citizens as well as some other would correspond the indigenous population, but the suffrage was limited to less than 1% of the population. In an endeavor to block Houphouët, the governor de Mauduit supported a contender candidature, as well as provided him the total backing of the administration. Despite that as well as cheers to the SAA's strong organization, Houphouët, running for the indigenous seat, easily came firstly with a 1,000-vote majority. He failed, however, to obtain an absolute majority, due to the large number of candidates running. Houphouët emerged victorious ane time to a greater extent than inwards the minute circular of elections held on 4 Nov 1945, inwards which he narrowly defeated an Upper Voltan candidate with 12,980 votes out of a total of 31,081. At this point, he decided to add together "Boigny" to his surname, pregnant "the leading ram" or "irresistible force" inwards Baoulé as well as symbolizing his role equally a leader.
Three Republic of Cote d'Ivoire political giants: Felix Houphouet Boigny, Philippe Gregoire Yace Mamadou Coulibaly
French Political career
As MP
In taking his topographic point at the National Assembly inwards the Palais Bourbon amongst compatriots Ouezzin Coulibaly as well as Zinda Kaboré, Houphouët-Boigny had to firstly create upwards one's heed with which grouping to side, as well as he opted for the Mouvement Unifié de la Résistance (MUR), a little political party composed of Communist sympathizers but non formal members of the Communist Party. He was appointed a fellow member of the Commission des territoires d'outre-mer (Commission of Overseas Territories). During this time, he worked to implement the wishes of the SAA, inwards particular proposing a pecker to abolish forced labor—the unmarried most unpopular characteristic of French rule. The Assembly adopted this bill, known equally Loi Houphouët-Boigny, on eleven Apr 1946, greatly enhancing the author's prestige non only inwards his country. On 3 Apr 1946, Houphouët-Boigny proposed to unify labour regulations inwards the territories of Africa; this would eventually live on completed inwards 1952. Finally, on 27 September 1946, he filed a written report on earth wellness scheme of overseas territories, calling for its reformation. Houphouët-Boigny inwards his parliamentary tenure supported the thought of a union of French territories.
As the firstly constitution proposed yesteryear the Constituent Assembly was rejected yesteryear the voters, novel elections were held inwards 1946 for a minute component assembly. For these elections Houphouët-Boigny organized on ix Apr 1946, with the aid of the Groupes d'études communistes (English: Communist Study Groups), the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI), whose construction closely followed that of the SAA. It straightaway became the firstly successful independent African political party when the novel political party Houphouët-Boigny easily swept the elections with 21,099 out of 37,888 votes, his opponents obtaining only a few hundred votes each. In this he was helped yesteryear the call back of Governor Latrille, whose predecessor had been fired yesteryear the Overseas Minister Marius Moutet for his opposition to the abolition of the indigénat.
With his render to the assembly he was appointed to the Commission du règlement et du suffrage universel (Commission for Regulation of Universal Suffrage); equally secretarial assistant of the commission from 1947 to 1948, he proposed on xviii Feb 1947 to reform French West Africa (AOF), French Equatorial Africa (AEF), as well as the French territories' federal council to ameliorate correspond the African peoples. He also called for the creation of local assemblies inwards Africa so that Africans could larn how to live on autonomous.
Houphouët-Boigny with HRH Haile Selassie as well as Houphouet`s wife
Foundation of the RDA as well as Communist alliance
During the holding of the minute Constituent Assembly the African representatives witnessed a strong reaction against the colonial liberalism that had been embedded inwards the rejected constitution drafted yesteryear the previous assembly. The novel text, approved yesteryear the voters on thirteen Oct 1946, reduced the African representatives from xxx to 24, as well as reduced the number of those entitled to vote; also, a large number of colonial topics were left inwards which the executive could regulation yesteryear decree, as well as supervision over the colonial direction remained weak. Reacting to what they felt was a betrayal of the MRP's as well as the Socialists' promises, the African deputies concluded they needed to build a permanent coalition independent from the French parties.
Congress RDA inwards Bamako inwards 1957. From left to right: Sékou Touré, Félix Houphouët-Boigny as well as Doudou Gueye.
Houphouët-Boigny was the firstly to suggest this to his African colleagues, as well as obtained their total back upwards for a founding congress to live on held inwards Oct at Bamako inwards French Sudan. The French authorities did all it could to sabotage the congress, as well as inwards particular the Socialist Overseas Minister was successful inwards persuading the African Socialists, who were originally amongst the promoters, from attending. This ultimately backfired, radicalizing those convened; when they founded the African Democratic Rally (RDA) equally an inter-territorial political movement, it was the pro-Communist Gabriel d'Arboussier who dominated the congress. The novel movement's destination was to costless "Africa from the colonial yoke yesteryear the affirmation of her personality as well as yesteryear the association, freely agreed to, of a union of nations". Its firstly president, confirmed several times subsequently, was Houphouët-Boigny, spell secretary-general became d'Arboussier. As portion of the bringing of the territorial parties inwards the organization, the PDCI became the Ivoirian branch of the RDA.
Congress RDA inwards Bamako inwards 1957. From left to right: Sékou Touré, Félix Houphouët-Boigny as well as Doudou Gueye.
Houphouët-Boigny was the firstly to suggest this to his African colleagues, as well as obtained their total back upwards for a founding congress to live on held inwards Oct at Bamako inwards French Sudan. The French authorities did all it could to sabotage the congress, as well as inwards particular the Socialist Overseas Minister was successful inwards persuading the African Socialists, who were originally amongst the promoters, from attending. This ultimately backfired, radicalizing those convened; when they founded the African Democratic Rally (RDA) equally an inter-territorial political movement, it was the pro-Communist Gabriel d'Arboussier who dominated the congress. The novel movement's destination was to costless "Africa from the colonial yoke yesteryear the affirmation of her personality as well as yesteryear the association, freely agreed to, of a union of nations". Its firstly president, confirmed several times subsequently, was Houphouët-Boigny, spell secretary-general became d'Arboussier. As portion of the bringing of the territorial parties inwards the organization, the PDCI became the Ivoirian branch of the RDA.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny as well as Coulibaly (Right)
Too little to shape their ain parliamentary group, the African deputies were compelled to bring together ane of the larger parties inwards society to sit down together inwards the Palais Bourbon. Thus, the RDA before long joined the French Communist Party (PCF) equally the only openly anti-colonialist political faction[4] as well as before long organised strikes as well as boycotts of European imports. Houphouët-Boigny justified the alliance because it seemed, at the time, to live on the only way for his vocalism to live on heard: "Even before the creation of RDA, the alliance had served our cause: inwards March 1946, the abolition of compulsory labour was adopted unanimously, without a vote, cheers to our tactical alliance."
Senghor, Houphouët-Boigny as well as YOULOU, all the novel presidents of Senegal, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as Congo at the conference of the African Table held inwards Abidjan Oct 24, 1960.
Senghor, Houphouët-Boigny as well as YOULOU, all the novel presidents of Senegal, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as Congo at the conference of the African Table held inwards Abidjan Oct 24, 1960.
As the Cold War laid in, the alliance with the Communists became increasingly damaging for the RDA. The French colonial direction showed itself increasingly hostile toward the RDA as well as its president, whom the direction called a "Stalinist".Tensions reached their summit at the commencement of 1950, when, next an outbreak of anti-colonial violence, almost the entire PDCI leadership was arrested;Houphouët-Boigny managed to skid away shortly before law arrived at his house. Although Houphouët-Boigny would take hold been saved yesteryear his parliamentary immunity, his missed arrest was popularly attributed to his influence as well as his prestige. In the ensuing chaos, riots broke out inwards Côte d'Ivoire; the most important of which was a clash with the law at Dimbokro inwards which thirteen Africans were killed as well as 50 wounded. According to official figures, yesteryear 1951 a total of 52 Africans had been killed, several hundred wounded as well as unopen to 3,000 arrested (numbers which, according to an sentiment reported yesteryear journalist Ronald Segal inwards African Profiles, are for certain underestimated). In society to defuse the crisis, Prime Minister René Pleven entrusted the France's Minister for Overseas Territories, François Mitterrand, with the task of detaching the RDA from the PCF, as well as inwards fact an official alliance betwixt the RDA as well as Mitterrand's party, the UDSR, was established inwards 1952. Knowing he was at an impasse, inwards Oct 1950, Houphouët-Boigny agreed to interruption the Communist alliance. Asked inwards an undated interview why he worked with the communists, Houphouët-Boigny replied: "I, a bourgeois landowner, I would preach the grade struggle? That is why nosotros aligned ourselves with the Communist Party, without joining it."
1958 Michel Debré as well as Felix Houphouet Boigny
Rehabilitation as well as entry into government
In the 1951 elections, the number of seats was reduced from iii to two; spell Houphouët-Boigny soundless won a seat, the other RDA candidate, Ouezzin Coulibaly, did not. All inwards all, the RDA only garnered 67,200 of 109,759 votes inwards that election, as well as the political party inwards direct opposition to it captured a seat. On 8 August 1951, Boigny, speaking at René Pleven's inauguration equally president of the board, denied beingness the leader of a communist group; he was non believed until the RDA's 1952 affiliation with UDSR. On the 24th of that same month, Boigny delivered a contestation inwards the Assembly contesting the resultant of the elections, which he declared tainted yesteryear fraud. He also denounced what he saw equally the exploitation of overseas deputies equally "voting machines", who, equally political pawns, supported the colonial government's every action. Thereafter, Houphouët-Boigny as well as the RDA were briefly unsuccessful before their success was renewed inwards 1956; at that year's elections, the political party received 502,711 of 579,550 votes cast. From as well as then on, his human relationship with Communism was forgotten, as well as he was embraced equally a moderate. Named equally a fellow member of the Committees on Universal Suffrage (distinct from the aforementioned commission regulating said suffrage), Constitutional Laws, Rules as well as Petitions. On 1 Feb 1956, he was appointed Minister Discharging the Duties of the Presidency of the Council inwards the authorities of Guy Mollet, a post he held until thirteen June 1957. This marked the firstly fourth dimension an African was elected to such a senior topographic point inwards the French government. His principal achievement inwards this role was the creation of an organisation of Saharan regions that would aid ensure sustainability for the French Union as well as counter Moroccan territorial claims inwards the Sahara.
Felix Houphouet-Boigny inwards 1958
On 6 Nov 1957, Houphouët-Boigny became Minister of Public Health as well as Population inwards the Gaillard direction as well as attempted to reform earth wellness code. He had previously served equally Minister of State nether Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury (13 June – 6 Nov 1957).[citation needed] Following his Gaillard ministry, he was ane time to a greater extent than appointed Minister of State from xiv May 1958;– xx May 1959. In this capacity, he participated inwards the evolution of France's African policy, notably inwards the cultural domain. At his behest, the Bureau of French Overseas Students as well as the University of Dakar were created. On 4 Oct 1958, Houphouët-Boigny was ane of the signatories, along with de Gaulle, of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. The final post he held inwards French Republic was Minister-Counsellor inwards the Michel Debré government, from 23 July 1959 to nineteen May 1961.
François Mitterrand Presidents of French Republic as well as Felix Houphouet-Boigny (right)
Independence
Until the mid-1950s, French colonies inwards W as well as primal Africa were grouped within 2 federations: French Equatorial Africa (AEF) as well as French West Africa (AOF). Côte d'Ivoire was portion of the AOF, financing roughly 2 thirds of its budget. Wishing to liberate the province from the guardianship of the AOF, Houphouët-Boigny advocated an Africa made upwards of nations that would generate wealth rather than percentage poverty as well as misery.
Houphouët-Boigny walking with Kenneth Kaunda of Republic of Zambia inwards Abidjan
He participated actively inwards the drafting as well as adoption of the framework of the Defferre Loi Cadre, a French legal reform which, inwards improver to granting autonomy to African colonies, would interruption the ties that bound the dissimilar territories together, giving them to a greater extent than autonomy yesteryear agency of local assemblies. The Deffere Loi Cadre was far from unanimously accepted yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny's compatriots inwards Africa: Léopold Sédar Senghor, leader of Senegal, was the firstly to verbalise out against this attempted "Balkanization" of Africa, arguing that the colonial territories "do non correspond to whatever reality: live on it geographical, economic, ethnic, or linguistic". Senghor argued that maintaining the AOF would give the territories stronger political credibility as well as would allow them to develop harmoniously equally good equally emerge equally a genuine people. This view was shared yesteryear most members of the African Democratic Rally, who backed Ahmed Sékou Touré as well as Modibo Keïta, placing Houphouët-Boigny inwards the minority at the 1957 congress inwards Bamako.
Following the adoption of the Loi Cadre reform on 23 June 1956, a territorial election was held inwards Côte d'Ivoire on 3 March 1957, inwards which the PDCI—transformed nether Houphouët-Boigny's job solid command into a political machine—won many seats. Houphouët-Boigny, who was already serving equally a government minister inwards France, equally President of the Territorial Assembly as well as equally mayor of Abidjan, chose Auguste Denise to serve equally Vice President of the Government Council of Côte d'Ivoire, fifty-fifty though Houphouët-Boigny remained, the only interlocutor inwards the colony for France. Houphouët-Boigny's popularity as well as influence inwards France's African colonies had go so pervasive that ane French mag claimed that yesteryear 1956, the politician's photograph "was inwards all the huts, on the lapels of coats, on the corsages of African women as well as fifty-fifty on the handlebars of bicycles".
President Felix Houphouët-Boigny of Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as his married adult woman Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny
On 7 Apr 1957, the Prime Minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, on a see to Côte d'Ivoire, called on all colonies inwards Africa to declare their independence; Houphouët-Boigny retorted to Nkrumah: "Your sense is rather impressive ... But due to the human relationships betwixt the French as well as the Africans, as well as because inwards the 20th century, people take hold go interdependent, nosotros considered that it would maybe live on to a greater extent than interesting to seek a novel as well as dissimilar sense than yours as well as unique inwards itself, ane of a Franco-African community based on equality as well as fraternity."
Unlike many African leaders who straightaway demanded independence, Houphouët-Boigny wished for a careful transition within the "ensemble français" because, according to him, political independence without economical independence was worthless. He also invited Nkrumah to run across upwards with him inwards 10 years to view which ane of the 2 had chosen the best approach toward independence.
On 28 September 1958 Charles de Gaulle proposed a constitutional plebiscite to the Franco-African community: the territories were given the alternative of either supporting the constitution or proclaiming their independence as well as beingness cutting off from France. For Houphouët-Boigny, the alternative was simple: "Whatever happens, Côte d'Ivoire volition go into straight to the Franco-African community. The other territories are costless to grouping betwixt themselves before joining." Only Republic of Guinea chose independence; its leader, Ahmed Sékou Touré, opposed Houphouët-Boigny, stating that his preference was "freedom inwards poverty over wealth inwards slavery". The plebiscite produced the French Community, an establishment meant to live on an association of costless republics which had jurisdiction over unusual policy, defense, currency, mutual ethnic as well as fiscal policy, as well as strategic raw materials.
Ambassador James W. Wine Talks with President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Houphouët-Boigny was determined to halt the hegemony of Senegal inwards West Africa as well as a political confrontation ensued betwixt Ivorian as well as Senegalese leaders. Houphouët-Boigny refused to participate inwards the Inter-African conference inwards Dakar on 31 Dec 1958, which was intended to lay the foundation for the Federation of Francophone African States. Although that federation was never realised, Senegal as well as Republic of Mali (known at the fourth dimension equally French Sudan) formed their ain political union, the Republic of Mali Federation. After de Gaulle allowed the Republic of Mali Federation independence inwards 1959, Houphouët-Boigny tried to sabotage the federation's efforts to wield political control; inwards cooperation with France, he managed to convince Upper Volta, Dahomey, as well as Niger to withdraw from the Republic of Mali Federation, before it collapsed inwards August 1960.
Two months after the 1958 referendum, 7 fellow member states of French West Africa, including Côte d'Ivoire, became autonomous republics within the French Community. Houphouët-Boigny had won his firstly victory against those supporting federalism. This victory established the weather condition that made the time to come "Ivorian miracle" possible, since betwixt 1957 as well as 1959, budget revenues grew yesteryear 158%, reaching 21,723,000,000 CFA francs.
Houphouet-Boigny (Center) as well as Henri Konan BEDIE inwards Washington inwards 1963 with their wives
President of Côte d'Ivoire
Early years as well as minute marriage
Houphouët-Boigny officially became the caput of the authorities of Côte d'Ivoire on 1 May 1959. Although he faced no opposition from contender parties as well as the PDCI became the de facto political party of the province inwards 1957, he was confronted yesteryear opposition from his ain government. Radical nationalists, led yesteryear Jean-Baptiste Mockey, openly opposed the government's Francophile policies. In an endeavor to solve this problem, Houphouët-Boigny decided to exile Mockey inwards September 1959, claiming that Mockey had attempted to assassinate him using voodoo inwards what Houphouët-Boigny called the "complot du chat noir" (black truthful cat conspiracy)
President Houphouët-Boigny Official Portrait 1960
Houphouët-Boigny began drafting a novel constitution for Côte d'Ivoire after the country's independence from French Republic on 7 August 1960. It drew heavily from the USA Constitution inwards establishing a powerful executive branch, as well as from the Constitution of France, which limited the capacities of the legislature. He transformed the National Assembly into a mere recording theatre for bills as well as budget proposals. On 27 Nov 1960, Houphouët-Boigny was elected unopposed to the Presidency of the Republic, spell a unmarried listing of PDCI candidates was elected to the National Assembly.
Charles de Gaulle et les présidents africains (de g. à dr.): Philippe Yace (président du parlement de Côte d’Ivoire), Hamani Diori (Niger), Maurice Yameogo (Haute-Volta), Félix Houphouët-Boigny (Côte d’Ivoire), Hubert Maga (Dahomey), à l’Elysée le 08 mars 1961. (AFP
1963 was marked yesteryear a serial of alleged plots that played a decisive role inwards ultimately consolidating powerfulness inwards the hands of Houphouët-Boigny. There is no clear consensus on the unfolding of the 1963 events; inwards fact, in that location may take hold been no plot at all as well as the entire serial of events may take hold been portion of a computer program yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny to consolidate his take hold on power. Between 120 as well as 200 cloak-and-dagger trials were held inwards Yamoussoukro, inwards which key political figures—including Mockey as well as the president of the Supreme Court Ernest Boka—were implicated. There was discontent inwards the army, equally the generals grew restive next the arrest of Defense Minister Jean Konan Banny, as well as the president had to intervene personally to pacify them.
For the side yesteryear side 27 years, almost all powerfulness inwards Côte d'Ivoire was centered inwards Houphouët-Boigny. From 1965 to 1985, he was reelected unopposed to v successive five-year terms. Also every v years, a unmarried listing of PDCI candidates was returned to the National Assembly. For all intents as well as purposes, all of them were appointed yesteryear the president, since inwards his capacity equally leader of the PDCI he approved all candidates. The media were tightly controlled, as well as served mainly equally outlets for authorities propaganda. Nevertheless, Houphouët-Boigny's regime was somewhat less harsh than other authoritarian African regimes. Once he had consolidated his power, he freed political prisoners inwards 1967. Under his "unique create of paternalistic authoritarianism", Houphouët-Boigny subdued dissent yesteryear offering authorities positions instead of incarceration to his critics. As a result, according to Robert Mundt, writer of Côte d'Ivoire: Continuity as well as Change inwards a Semi-Democracy, he was never seriously challenged after 1963.
In society to foil whatever plans for a coup d'état, the president took command of the military machine as well as police, reducing their numbers from 5,300 to 3,500. Defence was entrusted to the French armed forces that, pursuant to the treaty on defence cooperation of 24 Apr 1961, were stationed at Port-Bouët as well as could intervene at Houphouët-Boigny's asking or when they considered French interests to live on threatened. They later intervened during attempts yesteryear the Sanwi monarchists to secede inwards 1959 as well as 1969, as well as ane time to a greater extent than inwards 1970, when an unauthorised political group, the Eburnian Movement, was formed as well as Houphouët-Boigny defendant its leader Kragbé Gnagbé of wishing to secede.
President Felix Houphouët-Boigny of Republic of Cote d'Ivoire as well as his married adult woman Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny
Houphouët-Boigny married the much younger Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny inwards 1962, having divorced his firstly married adult woman inwards 1952. The brace had no children of their own, but they adopted one: Olivier Antoine inwards 1981.
Mme Houphouet - Boigny Therese et a sa droite Mme Yacé phillipe dans les années 60
Helene Houpuhouet Boigny - Abla Pokou - was legally recognized inwards 1960 yesteryear her begetter Mister Felix Houphouet Boigny who came to Court along with his iii witnesses: his sisters Ms Faitai as well as Adjoua Houphouet boigny as well as his cousin Yao Simon Yamoussoukro's master copy of Canton (Jugement Supplétif numsber1261 – 26 AOUT 1960 – Tribunal of Toumodi – Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Court Session opened to the public). Madame Helene Houphouet Boigny is the granddaughter of the Bouale's King Nanan Kouakou Anougble II, her Mother beingness Madame Akissi Anougble. They both died inwards 1958.
Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny married adult woman of President Houphouët-Boigny
The spousal human relationship was non without scandal: inwards 1958, Marie-Thérèse went on a romantic escapade inwards Italy, spell inwards 1961, Houphouët-Boigny fathered a kid (Florence, d. 2007) out of wedlock yesteryear his mistress Henriette Duvignac.
Leadership inwards Africa
Following the representative of de Gaulle, who refused proposals for an integrated Europe, Houphouët-Boigny opposed Nkrumah's proposed USA of Africa, which called into query Côte d'Ivoire's latterly acquired national sovereignty. However, Houphouët-Boigny was non against African unity which developed on a representative yesteryear representative basis.
Félix Houphouet Boigny as well as U Thant, United Nations Secretary General inwards 1970 inwards Abidjan
On 29 May 1959, inwards cooperation with Hamani Diori (Niger), Maurice Yaméogo (Upper Volta) as well as Hubert Maga (Dahomey), Houphouët-Boigny created the Conseil de l'Entente (English: Council of Accord or Council of Understanding). This regional organisation, founded inwards society to hamper the Republic of Mali Federation, was designed with iii major functions: to allow shared direction of sure world services, such equally the port of Abidjan or the Abidjan–Niger railway line; to provide a solidarity fund accessible to fellow member countries, 90% of which was provided yesteryear Côte d'Ivoire; as well as to provide funding for diverse evolution projects through low-interest loans to fellow member states (70% of the loans were supplied yesteryear Côte d'Ivoire). In 1966, Houphouët-Boigny fifty-fifty offered to grant dual citizenship to nationals from fellow member countries of the Conseil de l'Entente, but the proffer was rapidly abandoned next pop protests.
Golda Meir with Republic of Cote d'Ivoire president Houphouet-Boigny. Photo yesteryear Courtesy of Wolfson Clore Mayer Corporation Collection
The ambitious Ivorian leader had fifty-fifty greater plans for French-speaking Africa: he intended to rally the dissimilar nations behind a large organisation whose objective was the mutual assistance of its fellow member states. The projection became a reality on 7 September 1961 with the signing of a charter giving nascency to the l'Union africaine et malgache (UAM; English: African as well as Malagasy Union), comprising 12 French-speaking countries including Léopold Sédar Senghor's Senegal. Agreements were signed inwards diverse sectors, such equally economic, military machine as well as telecommunications, which strengthened solidarity amongst Francophone states. However, the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) inwards May 1963 affected his plans: the supporters of Pan-Africanism demanded the dissolution of all regional groupings, such equally the UAM. Houphouët-Boigny reluctantly ceded, as well as transformed the UAM into the Organisation africaine et malgache de coopération économique et culturelle (English: African as well as Malagasy Organization of economical as well as cultural cooperation).
Houphouët-Boigny
Considering the OAU a dead terminate organisation, specially since Paris was opposed to the group, Houphouët-Boigny decided to create inwards 1965 l'Organisation commune africaine et malgache (OCAM; English: African as well as Malagasy Organization), a French organisation inwards competition with the OAU. The organisation included amongst its members sixteen countries, whose aim was to interruption revolutionary ambitions inwards Africa. However, over the years, the organisation became besides subservient to France, resulting inwards the deviation of one-half of the countries.
Houphouët-Boigny with Julius Nyerere of Tanzania inwards Abidjan
In the mid-1970s, during times of economical prosperity, Houphouët-Boigny as well as Senghor set aside their differences as well as joined forces to thwart Nigeria, which, inwards an endeavor to established itself inwards West Africa, had created the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The 2 countered the ECOWAS yesteryear creating the Economic Community of West Africa (ECWA), which superseded the old merchandise partnerships inwards the French-speaking regions. However, after assurances from Nigeria that ECOWAS would portion inwards the same way equally the before Francophone organisations, Houphouët-Boigny as well as Senghor decided to merge their organisation into ECOWAS inwards May 1975.
Françafrique
Throughout his presidency, Houphouët-Boigny surrounded himself with French advisers, such equally Guy Nairay, Chief of Staff from 1960 to 1993, as well as Alain Belkiri, Secretary-General of the Ivorian government, whose influence extended to all areas. This type of diplomacy, which he labelled "Françafrique", allowed him to hold really unopen ties with the onetime colonial power, making Côte d'Ivoire France's primary African ally. Whenever ane province would go into an understanding with an African nation, the other would unconditionally give its support. Through this arrangement, Houphouët-Boigny built a unopen friendship with Jacques Foccart, the master copy adviser on African policy inwards the de Gaulle as well as Pompidou governments'
"Mr Africa", Jacques Foccart as well as Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-Boigny inwards Paris Nov 13, 1973. © AFP
Destabilization of revolutionary regimes
By claiming independence for Republic of Guinea through the 28 September 1958 French constitutional referendum, Ahmed Sékou Touré had non only defied de Gaulle, but also his swain African, Houphouët-Boigny. He distanced himself from Guinean officials inwards Conakry as well as the Guinean Democratic Party was excluded from the RDA. Tensions betwixt Houphouët-Boigny as well as Touré also began to rising due to the conspiracies of the French intelligence agency SDECE against the Sékou Touré regime. In Jan 1960, Houphouët-Boigny delivered little arms to onetime rebels inwards Man, Côte d'Ivoire as well as incited his council inwards 1965 to take hold to taking portion inwards an endeavor to overthrow Sékou Touré. In 1967, he promoted the creation of the Front national de libération de la Guinée (FNLG; English: National Front for the Liberation of Guinea), a reserve of men prepare to plot the downfall of Sékou Touré.
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire President Felix Houphouet-Boigny (L) as well as Kenya's President Jomo Kenyatta
Houphouët-Boigny's human relationship with Kwame Nkrumah, the leader of neighboring Ghana, degraded considerably next Guinea's independence, due to Nkrumah's fiscal as well as political back upwards for Sékou Touré. After Sékou Touré convinced Nkrumah to back upwards the secessionist Sanwi inwards Côte d'Ivoire, Houphouët-Boigny began a crusade to discredit the Ghanaian regime. He defendant Nkrumah of trying to destabilise Côte d'Ivoire inwards 1963, as well as called for the Francophone states to boycott the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) conference scheduled to take identify inwards Accra. Nkrumah was ousted from powerfulness inwards 1966 inwards a military machine coup; Houphouët-Boigny allowed the conspirators to usage Côte d'Ivoire equally a base of operations to coordinate the arrival as well as deviation of their missions.
Also inwards collaboration with Foccart, Houphouët-Boigny took portion inwards the attempted coup of sixteen Jan 1977 led yesteryear famed French mercenary Bob Denard against the revolutionary regime of Mathieu Kérékou inwards Dahomey. Houphouët-Boigny, inwards society to fighting against the Marxists inwards powerfulness inwards Angola, also lent his back upwards to Jonas Savimbi's UNITA party, whose feud with the MPLA political party led to the Angolan Civil War.
Despite his reputation equally a destabaliser of regimes, Houphouët-Boigny granted refuge to Jean-Bédel Bokassa, after the exiled Central African Republic dictator had been overthrown yesteryear French paratroopers inwards September 1979. This displace was met with international criticism, as well as thus, having go a political as well as fiscal burden to Houphouët-Boigny, Bokassa was expelled from Côte d'Ivoire inwards 1983.
Houphouët-Boigny walking with Habib Bourguiba during Ivory Coast`s independence
Alignment with France
Houphouët-Boigny was a player inwards the Nov 1960 Congo Crisis, during which the United Nations tried to take Democratic Congo-Brazzaville from the influence of the left-wing Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. The Ivorian leader supported President Joseph Kasa-Vubu, an opponent of Lumumba, as well as followed French Republic inwards supporting the controversial Congolese Prime Minister Moise Tshombe. Tshombe, disliked yesteryear much of Africa, was passionately defended yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny as well as was fifty-fifty invited into OCAM inwards May 1965. After the overthrow of Kasa-Vubu yesteryear General Mobutu inwards Nov 1965, the Ivorian president supported, inwards 1967, a computer program proposed yesteryear the French cloak-and-dagger service which aimed to convey the deposed Congolese leader dorsum into power. The functioning was a failure. In response, Houphouët-Boigny decided to boycott the 4th annual summit of the OAU held inwards September 1967 inwards Kinshasa.
Houphouët-Boigny was also a major contributor to the political tensions inwards Biafra. Considering Nigeria a potential danger to French-influenced African states, Foccart sent Houphouët-Boigny as well as Lieutenant-Colonel Raymond Bichelot on a mission inwards 1963 to monitor political developments inwards the country. The chance to weaken the onetime British colony presented itself inwards May 1967, when Biafra, led yesteryear Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, undertook to secede from Nigeria. French-aligned African countries supported the secessionists who, provided with mercenaries as well as weapons yesteryear Jean Mauricheau-Beaupré, began a civil war. By the terminate of the 1960s, French-supported nations of a abrupt as well as openly distanced themselves from French Republic as well as Côte d'Ivoire's topographic point on the civil war. Isolated on the international scene, both countries decided to suspend their assistance to Ojukwu, who eventually went into exile inwards Côte d'Ivoire.
At the asking of Paris, Houphouet-Boigny began forging relations with South Africa inwards Oct 1970, justifying his mental attitude yesteryear stating that "[t]he problems of racial discrimination, so painful, so distressing, so revolting to our dignity of Negros, must non live on resolved, nosotros believe, yesteryear force." He fifty-fifty proposed to the OAU inwards June 1971 that they follow his lead. In spite of receiving some support, his proposal was rejected. This refusal did not, however, foreclose him from continuing his attempts to approach the Pretoria regime. His attempts bore fruit inwards Oct of that year, when a semi-official coming together betwixt a delegation of high plane Ivorian officials as well as South African Prime Minister B. J. Vorster was held inwards the working capital missive of the alphabet of South Africa. Moreover, mindful of the Communist influence inwards Africa, he met Vorster inwards Geneva inwards 1977, after the Soviet Union as well as Republic of Cuba tried to collectively spread their influence inwards Republic of Angola as well as Ethiopia. Relations with South Africa continued on an official footing until the terminate of his presidency.
President Houphouet-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire as well as the President of the Republic of Republic of Cameroon El Hady Amadou Ahidjo
Houphouët-Boigny as well as Thomas Sankara, the leader of Burkina Faso, had a highly turbulent relationship. Tensions reached their climax inwards 1985 when Côte d'Ivoire Burkinabés defendant authorities of beingness involved inwards a conspiracy to forcibly recruit immature students to preparation camps inwards Libya. Houphouët-Boigny responded yesteryear inviting the dissident Jean-Claude Kamboulé to take refuge inwards Côte d'Ivoire so that he could organise opposition to the Sankara regime. In 1987, Sankara was overthrown as well as assassinated inwards a coup. The coup may take hold had French involvement, since the Sankara regime had fallen into disfavour inwards France. Houphouët-Boigny was also suspected of involvement inwards the coup as well as inwards November, the PDCI asked the authorities to ban the sale of Jeune Afrique next its allegations that Houphouët-Boigny had participated inwards the coup. The Ivorian president would take hold greatly benefited from the divisions inwards the Burkina Faso government, so he contacted Blaise Compaoré, the second-most powerful human being inwards the regime. It is believed that they worked inwards conjunction with the President of French Republic François Mitterrand, Laurent Dona Fologo, Robert Guéï as well as Pierre Ouédraogo to overthrow the Sankara regime.
Jacques Chirac as well as Felix Houphouet-Boigny
Besides supporting policies pursued yesteryear France, Houphouët-Boigny also influenced their actions inwards Africa. He pushed French Republic to back upwards as well as provide arms to warlord Charles Taylor's rebels during the First Liberian Civil War inwards hopes of receiving some of the country's assets as well as resources after the war
Opposition to the Soviet Union as well as China Anne McClainrom the fourth dimension of Côte d'Ivoire's independence, Houphouët-Boigny considered the Soviet Union as well as China "malevolent" influences on developing countries. He did non found diplomatic relations with Moscow until 1967 as well as and then severed them inwards 1969 next allegations of direct Soviet back upwards to a 1968 educatee protestation at the National University of Côte d'Ivoire. The 2 countries did non restore ties until Feb 1986, yesteryear which fourth dimension Houphouët-Boigny had embraced a to a greater extent than active unusual policy reflecting his quest for greater international recognition.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo (left)
Houphouët-Boigny was fifty-fifty to a greater extent than outspoken inwards his criticism of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He voiced fears of an "invasion" yesteryear the Chinese as well as a subsequent colonisation of Africa. He was especially concerned that Africans would view the problems of evolution inwards China equally analogous to those of Africa, as well as view China's solutions equally appropriate to sub-Saharan Africa. Accordingly, Côte d'Ivoire was ane of the final countries to normalise relations with China, doing so on 3 March 1983. Under the regulation demanded yesteryear Beijing for "one China", the recognition yesteryear Côte d'Ivoire of the PRC effectively disestablished diplomatic relations betwixt Abidjan as well as Taiwan.
Houphouët-Boigny with Haile Selasie during Ivory Coast`s independence inwards Abidjan
Economic policies inwards the 1960s as well as 1970s
Houphouët-Boigny adopted a scheme of economical liberalism inwards Côte d'Ivoire inwards society to obtain the trust as well as confidence of unusual investors, most notably the French. The advantages granted yesteryear the investment laws he established inwards 1959 allowed unusual job concern to repatriate upwards to 90% of their profits inwards their province of beginning (the remaining 10% was reinvested inwards Côte d'Ivoire). He also developed an agenda for modernising the country's infrastructure, for example, edifice an American-style job concern district inwards Abidjan where five-star hotels as well as resorts welcomed tourists as well as businessmen. Côte d'Ivoire experienced economical growth of 11–12% from 1960 to 1965. The country's gross domestic production (GDP) grew twelvefold betwixt 1960 as well as 1978, from 145 to 1,750 billion CFA francs, spell the merchandise remainder continued to tape a surplus.
Houphouët-Boigny at FAO caput office
The beginning of this economical success stemmed from the president's determination to focus on the primary sector of the economy, rather than the secondary sector. As a result, the agricultural sector experienced important development: betwixt 1960 as well as 1970, cocoa cultivators tripled their production to 312,000 tonnes as well as java production rose yesteryear nearly 50%, from 185,500 to 275,000 tonnes. As a resultant of this economical prosperity, Côte d'Ivoire saw an influx of immigrants from other West African countries; the unusual workforce—mostly Burkinabés—who maintained indigenous plantations, represented over a quarter of the Ivorian population yesteryear 1980. Both Ivorians as well as foreigners began referring to Houphouët-Boigny equally the "Sage of Africa" for performing what became known equally "Ivorian miracle". He was also respectfully nicknamed "The Old One" (Le Vieux).
However, the economical scheme developed inwards cooperation with French Republic was far from perfect. As Houphouët-Boigny described it, the economic scheme of Côte d'Ivoire experienced "growth without development". The growth of the economic scheme depended on capital, initiatives as well as a fiscal framework from investors abroad; it had non go independent or self-sustaining.
Houphouët-Boigny
Crisis inwards Côte d'Ivoire
Economy on the brink of collapse
Beginning inwards 1978, the economic scheme of Côte d'Ivoire experienced a serious decline due to the precipitous downturn inwards international marketplace topographic point prices of java as well as cocoa. The decline was perceived equally fleeting, since its impact on planters was buffered yesteryear the Caistab, the agricultural marketing board, which ensured them a livable income. The side yesteryear side year, inwards society to comprise a abrupt driblet inwards the prices of exported goods, Houphouët-Boigny raised prices to resist international tariffs on raw materials. However, yesteryear applying only this solution, Côte d'Ivoire lost to a greater extent than than 700 billion CFA francs betwixt 1980 as well as 1982. From 1983 to 1984, Côte d'Ivoire savage victim to a drought that ravaged nearly 400,000 hectares of woods as well as 250,000 hectares of java as well as cocoa plants. To address this problem, Houphouët-Boigny travelled to London to negotiate an understanding on java as well as cocoa prices with traders as well as industrialists; yesteryear 1984, the understanding had fallen apart as well as Côte d'Ivoire was engulfed inwards a major fiscal crisis.
Even the production of the offshore fossil oil drilling as well as petrochemical industries, developed to furnish the Caistab, was affected yesteryear the 1986 worldwide economical recession. Côte d'Ivoire, which had bought planters' harvests for double the marketplace topographic point price, savage into heavy debt. By May 1987, the unusual debt had reached US$10 billion, prompting Houphouët-Boigny to suspend payments of the debt. Refusing to sell off its furnish of cocoa, the province unopen downwards its exports inwards July as well as forced world rates to increase.
Président Félix Houphouët-Boigny chatting with Alassane Ouattara
However, this "embargo" failed. In Nov 1989, Houphouët-Boigny liquidated his enormous stock of cocoa to large businesses to jump-start the economy. Gravely sick at this time, he named a Prime Minister (the post was unoccupied since 1960), Alassane Ouattara, who established a serial of belt-tightening economical measures to convey the province out of debt.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny as well as Habib Bourguiba inwards Tunisia inwards 1968.
Social tensions
The full general atmosphere of enrichment as well as satisfaction during the menstruum of economical growth inwards Côte d'Ivoire made it possible for Houphouët-Boigny to hold as well as command internal political tensions;his easy-going dictatorship, where political prisoners were almost nonexistent, was good accepted yesteryear the population. However, the economical crisis that began inwards the 1980s caused a precipitous decline inwards living weather condition for the middle grade as well as underprivileged urban populations. According to the World Bank, the population living below the poverty threshold went from 11% inwards 1985 to 31% yesteryear 1993. Despite the implementation of sure measures, such equally the reduction of the number of immature French workers (who worked abroad spell serving inwards the military) from 3,000 to 2,000 inwards 1986, allowing many jobs to go to immature Ivorian graduates, the authorities failed to command the rising rates of unemployment as well as bankruptcy inwards many companies.
First President Félix Houphouët Boigny inwards primal apparently costume. His married adult woman Teresa is on the far left. On his right, the minute president Henri Konan Bédié as well as his married adult woman who volition live on displaced yesteryear the firstly coup d'etat of Dec 24, 1999.
Strong social agitations shook the country, creating insecurity. The reason forces mutinied inwards 1990 as well as 1992, as well as on 2 March 1990, protesters organized bulk demonstrations inwards the streets of Abidjan with slogans such equally "thief Houphouët" as well as "corrupt Houphouët". These pop demonstrations prompted the president to launch a scheme of democratization on 31 May, inwards which he authorised political pluralism as well as merchandise unions.
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny with Mossi chief, Naba Moro of Burkina Faso
Opposition
Laurent Gbagbo gained recognition equally ane of the principal instigators of the educatee demonstrations during the protests against Houphouët-Boigny's authorities on ix Feb 1982, which led to the closing of the universities as well as other educational institutions. Shortly thereafter, his married adult woman as well as he formed what would go the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI). Gbagbo went into exile inwards French Republic later that year, where he promoted the FPI as well as its political platforms.
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny Speaking to His People
Although the FPI was ideologically similar to the Unified Socialist Party, the French socialist authorities tried to ignore Gbagbo's political party to delight Houphouët-Boigny. After a lengthy appeal process, Gbagbo obtained status equally a political refugee inwards French Republic inwards 1985. However, the French authorities attempted to pressure level him into returning to Côte d'Ivoire, equally Houphouët-Boigny had begun to worry almost Gbagbo's developing a network of contacts, as well as believed "his stirring opponent would live on less of a threat inwards Abidjan than inwards Paris".
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny inwards 1990 as well as opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo inwards Abidjan
In 1988, Gbagbo returned from exile to Côte d'Ivoire after Houphouët-Boigny implicitly granted him forgiveness yesteryear declaring that "the tree did non acquire angry at the bird". In 1990, Houphouët-Boigny legalised opposition parties. On 28 October, a presidential election was held, which for the firstly fourth dimension featured a candidate other than Houphouët-Boigny: Gbagbo. He highlighted the President's age, suggesting that he was besides old for a 7th five-year term. Houphouët-Boigny countered yesteryear broadcasting tv set footage of his youth, as well as he was re-elected to a 7th term with 2,445,365 votes to 548,441.
Nana Houphouët-Boigny speaking to the press
Displays of wealth
During his presidency, Houphouët-Boigny benefited greatly from the wealth of Côte d'Ivoire; yesteryear the fourth dimension of his expiry inwards 1993, his personal wealth was estimated to live on betwixt US$7 as well as $11 billion. With regards to his large fortune, Houphouët-Boigny said inwards 1983, "People are surprised that I similar gold. It's only that I was born inwards it." The Ivorian leader acquired a dozen properties inwards the metropolitan expanse of Paris (including Hotel Masseran on Masseran Street inwards the 7th arrondissement of Paris), a holding inwards Castel Gandolfo inwards Italy, as well as a theatre inwards Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland. He owned existent estate companies, such equally Grand Air SI, SI Picallpoc as well as Interfalco, as well as had many shares inwards prestigious jewelry as well as watchmaking companies, such equally Piaget SA as well as Harry Winston. He placed his fortune inwards Switzerland, ane time asking if "there is whatever serious human being on reason non stocking parts of his fortune inwards Switzerland".
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sculpture LARP President Felix Houphouet-Boigny
In 1983, Houphouët-Boigny moved the working capital missive of the alphabet from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro. There, at the expense of the state, he built many buildings such equally the Institute Polytechnique as well as an international airport. The most luxurious projection was the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, which is currently the largest church building inwards the world, with an expanse of 30,000 foursquare metres (320,000 sq ft) as well as a summit of 158 metres (518 ft). Personally financed yesteryear Houphouët-Boigny, construction for the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace was carried out yesteryear the Lebanese architect Pierre Fakhoury at a total cost of almost US$150–200 million. Houphouët-Boigny offered it to Pope John Paul II equally a "personal gift"; the latter, after having unsuccessfully requested it beingness shorter than St. Peter's inwards Rome, consecrated it all the same on 10 September 1990. Due to a collapse of the national economic scheme coupled with lavish amounts spent on its construction, the Basilica was criticized: it was called "the basilica inwards the bush" yesteryear several western intelligence agencies.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Moussa Traore of Republic of Mali (foreground) inwards Bamako
Death as well as legacy
Succession as well as death
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny with kids
The political, social, as well as economical crises also touched the number of who would succeed Houphouët-Boigny equally caput of state. After severing ties with his onetime political heir Philippe Yacé inwards 1980, who, equally president of the National Assembly, was entitled to practise the total functions of President of the Republic if the Head of State was incapacitated or absent, Houphouët-Boigny delayed equally much equally he could inwards officially designating a successor. The president's wellness became increasingly fragile, with Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara administering the province from 1990 onwards, spell the president was hospitalised inwards France. There was a struggle for power, which ended when Houphouët-Boigny rejected Ouattara inwards favour of Henri Konan Bédié, the President of the National Assembly. In Dec 1993, Houphouët-Boigny, terminally sick with prostate cancer, was urgently flown dorsum to Côte d'Ivoire so he could go there. He was kept on life back upwards to ensure that the final dispositions concerning his succession were defined. After his household unit of measurement consented, Houphouët-Boigny was disconnected from life back upwards at 6:35 am GMT on 7 December. At the fourth dimension of his death, Houphouët-Boigny was the longest-serving leader inwards Africa as well as the tertiary inwards the world, after Fidel Castro of Republic of Cuba as well as Kim Il Sung of North Korea.
Houphouët-Boigny left no written volition or legacy written report for Côte d'Ivoire upon his expiry inwards 1993. His recognised heirs, especially Helena, led a battle against the authorities to recover portion of the vast fortune Houphouët-Boigny had left, which she claimed was "private" as well as did non belong to the State.
Funeral
Following Houpouët-Boigny's death, the country's stability was maintained, equally seen yesteryear his impressive funeral on 7 Feb 1994. The funeral for this "doyen of francophone Africa" was held inwards the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, with 7,000 guests within the edifice as well as tens of thousands outside. The two-month delay before Houpouët-Boigny's funeral, mutual amongst members of the Baoule ethnic group, allowed for many ceremonies preceding his burial. The president's funeral featured many traditional African funerary customs, including a large chorus dressed inwards brilliant batik dresses singing "laagoh budji gnia" (Baoulé: "Lord, it is yous who has made all things") as well as hamlet chiefs displaying strips of kente as well as korhogo cloth. Baoulés are traditionally buried with objects they enjoyed spell alive; Houpouët-Boigny's family, however, did non province what, if anything, they would bury with him.
Over 140 countries as well as international organisations sent delegates to the funeral. However, according to The New York Times, many Ivorians were disappointed yesteryear the poor attendance of several key allies, most notably the United States. The little USA delegation was led yesteryear Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary as well as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs George Moose. In contrast, Houphouët-Boigny's unopen personal ties with French Republic were reflected inwards the large French delegation, which included President François Mitterrand; Prime Minister Édouard Balladur; the presidents of the National Assembly as well as of the Senate, Philippe Séguin as well as René Monory; onetime President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing; Jacques Chirac; his friend Jacques Foccart; as well as vi onetime Prime Ministers. According to The New York Times, "Houphouët-Boigny's expiry is non only the terminate of a political era here, but maybe equally good the terminate of the unopen French-African human relationship that he came to symbolize.
Kennedys as well as Houphouet-Boignys at State Dinner First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Madame Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coast, President John Kennedy, as well as President Felix Houphouet-Boigny pose for photographers prior to a province dinner at the Mayflower Hotel. Date Photographed:May 24, 1962
Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize
To found his legacy equally a human being of peace, Houphouët-Boigny created an honour inwards 1989, sponsored yesteryear UNESCO as well as funded only yesteryear extra-budgetary resources provided yesteryear the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Foundation, to honor those who search for peace. The prize is "named after President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the doyen of African Heads of State as well as a tireless advocate of peace, concord, companionship as well as dialogue to solve all conflicts both within as well as betwixt States".
President Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as King Hassan II of Kingdom of Morocco (foreground) inwards Rabat
It is awarded annually along with a banking company check for €122,000, yesteryear an international jury composed of eleven persons from v continents, led yesteryear onetime USA Secretary of State as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger. The prize was firstly awarded inwards 1991 to Nelson Mandela, president of the African National Congress, as well as Frederik Willem de Klerk, president of the Republic of South Africa, as well as has been awarded each twelvemonth since, with the exception of 2001 as well as 2004.
Presidents Felix Houphouet-Boigny as well as Nelson Mandela (left) EN 1990 Yamoussoukro
source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9lix_Houphou%C3%ABt-Boigny
http://untilourindependence.com/tag/felix-houphouet-boigny/
houphouet & degaulle
Shimon Peres, as well as Félix Houphouët-Boigny,
Eisenhower greets Premier Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coas
Jacqueline Kennedy chats with Mrs. Houphouet-Boigny (right) equally they pose for photographers prior to a province dinner given yesteryear President as well as Mrs. Houphouet-Boigny of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire inwards honor of the Chief Executive as well as Mrs. Kennedy hither tonight.Date: May 24, 1962. Location: Washington, D.C. Image: Bettmann
Sir James Richard Marie Mancham Founding President of the Republic of Republic of Seychelles as well as the President of the Global Peace Council of the Universal Peace Federation with the belatedly President of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire Houphouet Boigny inwards Geneva
0 Response to "Info For You Lot Felix Houphouet-Boigny: The Sage Of Africa, Cote D`Ivoire`S Offset President Together With Ane Of The Peaceful Leaders From Africa"
Post a Comment