History History

It was at this time that the settlement of Benin took place in several phases. In the south, the Adja, originally from Togo, founded the powerful kingdoms of Allada (1575), Abomey (1645) and Porto-Novo (1688). The Yoruba, originally from present-day Nigeria, settled in the southeast and center. Finally, the Bariba, horsemen from Nigeria (Busa), mainly populated the northeast of Benin. Less numerous, the Dendi are concentrated in the northwest, while the Fulani (or Peul) are found in the north and the Betamaribé, commonly called Somba, inhabit the mountains of Atacora.

This was the time of the reign of Houégbadja, considered the third king of Abomey and above all the founder of the kingdom of Abomey, also called Agbomè, Danxomé or Dan-Homé. Houégbadja, who had left the kingdom of Allada, where another branch of the descendants of Agusuvi (Adja originating from Tado in Togo) reigned, set up the foundations of a political and administrative administration. Upon the succession of his father, Houessou became King Akaba (1685-1708). He extended the kingdom to the Ouémé.

As the heir to Akaba was too young to rule, his uncle Dossou ruled in his place and was crowned king under the name of Agadja (1708-1732), the "conquering king

After annexing the kingdom of Allada in 1724, Agadja launched an attack against the kingdom of Savi on February 7, 1727. This attack allowed him to annex the kingdom and its economic capital Ouidah, laying the foundations for an important trade with Europeans that would make the kingdom rich. And his own, since Agadja decided to divert the wealth generated by the slave trade to his own benefit by setting up a tax.
During this period, the Portuguese, Danes, French, Germans and Dutch negotiated with the various kings to establish trading posts in Ouidah and Allada. The trade then began to meet the need for labor that had appeared on the American continent. This trade, practiced from Ghana to Nigeria, gradually depopulated the coasts of the Gulf of Guinea. In Dahomey, the slave trade was highly developed in Porto-Novo and especially in Ouidah

The exceptionally long reign of Tegbessou (1732-1774) was marked by clashes with the Yoruba of Oyo and the Houéda. Upon his death, his brother Kpingla (1774-1789) engaged in hostilities with the king of Porto-Novo, who had established an outport at Ekpè, competing with the slave trade at Ouidah. Abomey's warriors looted and burned the city.

After the reign of Agonglo (1789-1797), who succeeded Kpingla, his successor Adandozan (1797-1818) distinguished himself by his cruelty. He abused the Europeans of Ouidah and imprisoned Francisco de Souza, a Brazilian of mixed race and a prominent merchant. With the help of Prince Gakpé, the future king Ghézo, de Souza escaped and in turn helped the prince to ascend the throne.

This is the time of the reign of King Ghézo. Ghézo was one of the greatest kings of Abomey. Deploying a strategy of conquest, he reorganized the army and created a corps of Amazons (women warriors). After defeating the Yoruba of Oyo, the Mahi of Savé and two chiefs of the Mahi country, he placed his throne on the four skulls of these chiefs. An excellent warrior, Ghézo was also a wise administrator. He developed in his kingdom the cultivation of oil palm as well as plants imported from Brazil, such as cassava, corn, banana, orange and peanuts. He established fair justice and signed a treaty of friendship with the French. He succumbed to a fatal wound inflicted on him by a Yoruba near Kétou.

On April 27, 1848, after the abdication of Louis-Philippe and the proclamation of the Second Republic, Victor Schœlcher, Under-Secretary of State for the Navy and the Colonies, had the decree put an end to slavery and the slave trade signed. In reality, the slave trade continued in a clandestine manner until the end of the 19th century.

Glélé, Ghézo's son, ascended the throne and decided to avenge his father by attacking the Yoruba kingdom of Kétou, burning down its city. Glélé let the French settle in Cotonou. When Jean Bayol, the French representative, tried to obtain guarantees about Cotonou and Porto-Novo, King Glélé was ill and was refused by Prince Kondo, the future King Béhanzin.

This was the date of Glélé's death. Béhanzin then ascended the throne. He was the last king to rule the kingdom of Abomey. Full of ambition, he quickly engaged in hostilities with France. His yovogan (high dignitary) of Ouidah captured French merchants and had them imprisoned. The French presence in Cotonou was called into question. Behanzin soon attacked the outskirts of Cotonou, where he was defeated. He then attacked Porto-Novo. There, the French armies retreated. To avoid escalation, emissaries were sent to Béhanzin to negotiate a peace agreement. The king asked France for a substantial tribute to allow him to trade from Cotonou, but refused to allow him to maintain his presence in Ouidah. As a result, the French prepared to resume the war.

Abomey's warriors invaded the territories under French protectorate. King Toffa requested assistance from France, which dispatched Victor Ballot, who was met with gunfire. The war resumed. Appointed superior commander of French establishments in Dahomey, Colonel Dodds left at the head of an army of 3,000 soldiers. He disembarked in 1892 and sent a letter to Behanzin. The latter responded by freeing the French nationals, but refused to withdraw his troops. On September 19, the Dahomeans attacked Colonel Dodds' troops, causing numerous losses on both sides. Finally, the French emerged victorious from the battle and took Abomey on November 17. In the meantime, Behanzin fled into the hinterland with his troops.

On January 25, 1894, in the Place de Goho in Abomey, Béhanzin surrendered to Colonel Dodds. He was then exiled, with some of his relatives, to Martinique and then to Algeria, where he died in 1906. His brother acceded to the throne of Abomey, under the name of Agoli-Agbo, but power was wrested from him after six years. From then on, Dahomey was ruled by the French and Victor Ballot was appointed governor of this colony, created in 1894

In 1904, the colony became part of French West Africa (AOF), whose Governor General resided in Dakar, Senegal. Dahomey was then reorganized administratively into 8 circles divided into cantons and villages

Within the framework of the Catholic missions, Father Steinmetz was appointed vicar; he ensured the evangelization of the country until 1934. In a final tribute to the considerable work he had accomplished, his name was given, in 1941, to a boulevard in Cotonou

In 1915, a revolt was rumbling among the population. Many men had been forcibly conscripted into the armies in Europe where the First World War was raging, and Bio Guéra, a Bariba chief, decided to resume hostilities. He wounded the administrator of Parakou and raised the towns of Nikki and Bembéréké, but was eventually captured and beheaded in 1919. In Atacora, the Somba, led by Kaba, also rebelled against the French, and Kaba and his warriors were also killed in 1918.

Dahomey was reorganized into 13 circles in 1934 and finally into 9 circles in 1938. The governor resided in Porto-Novo, from where he ran the colony with the help of French administrators and some Dahomeans

During the Brazzaville conference, France addressed the issue of African rights in the presence of General Charles de Gaulle while war was raging in Europe. This shows the importance of the issue of increased participation of Africans in local political life

In 1946, free labor, the right to vote (which was not yet universal), and democratic representation in the French Parliament were instituted. From 1946 to 1956, the Grand Council of AOF (French West Africa), territorial assemblies and a number of elected municipalities took charge of local affairs

The AOF was then a territory of 46,300 km² with a population of 18.7 million and was divided into 8 territories: Côte d'Ivoire, Dahomey, Guinea, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and French Sudan (now Mali). That year, a law was adopted that profoundly modified the relations between the metropolis and the colonies. It was the Deferre Framework Law, which introduced universal suffrage in Africa and gave the territories a semi-autonomous regime, a prelude to autonomy. Elected by all citizens, the territorial assemblies had the power to appoint ministers. Africans were given easier access to top management positions. Rural communities were set up in the countryside. Finally, the Defferre law created the legal conditions for political action. Sourou Migan Apithy founded the Republican Party of Dahomey (PRD), Hubert Maga the Democratic Grouping of Dahomey (RDD) and Justin Ahomadegbé the Democratic Union of Dahomey (UDD)

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It was not until two years later, on August¹ , 1960, that Dahomey became truly independent. Hubert Maga became the first president of Dahomey, while Apithy was appointed vice president. However, independent Dahomey was a fragile state where national cohesion was lacking, and a long period of political instability began.

Military coup, December 22, 1965. Then, on December 17, 1967, young soldiers, led by Commander Maurice Kouandété and formed into the Military Revolutionary Committee, brought one of their own to power. He banned former political leaders from running for office by decree. In 1968, following hastily organized elections, the military appointed Dr. Emile-Derlin Zinsou as head of state. He did not stay there long. On December 10, 1969, he was overthrown by the military. The historical leaders Maga, Ahomadégbé and Apithy, who were called upon to lead the country, found common ground and established a Presidential Council with a rotating presidency

On October 26, 1972, the army seized power and dissolved the Presidential Council and the National Assembly. Major Mathieu Kérékou took over as head of the new government, called the Revolutionary Military Government (GMR). On November 30, he presented his program that set the country on a new course. A new institution was created in 1973: the National Council of the Revolution. Ideological and patriotic training became mandatory. Then, in 1974, the reform of the territorial administration abolished the traditional structures. Mayors and delegates replaced village chiefs, convents and animist priests. Finally, on November 30, 1974, in Abomey, the government officially adopted the doctrine of Marxism-Leninism and thus joined the Soviet camp.

A single party was created: the Party of the Beninese Popular Revolution (PRPB). That same year, Dahomey became the People's Republic of Benin. Major companies - banks, insurance companies and hotels - were nationalized

The regime became more radical, and in August 1977 the National Revolutionary Council adopted the Fundamental Law, which reinforced the rule of the single party, with the introduction of a system of single candidacy in elections. Opinion was muzzled, and political prisoners were interned for years in Parakou without being tried. The mismanagement of the country's finances and corruption led to a serious economic crisis in 1986. The political system was derisively described as "lax-beninism.

From 1988 onwards, the difficulties only worsened. The regime was subjected to pressure from the street and to the vindictiveness of the bishops. The president escaped a plot in March and a military putsch in June. When an unlimited general strike was called in April 1989, the government was on the verge of collapse. On November 29, Kérékou decided to organize a national conference bringing together all the political actors and representatives of civil society to find a way out of the crisis

The National Conference, the first of its kind in Africa, was held in Cotonou from February 19 to 28, 1990, under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Cotonou, Monsignor Isidore de Souza. It decided to suspend the Fundamental Law while awaiting the adoption of the new Constitution, which was to establish a true state of law and authorize a multi-party system. The foundations of democracy and a liberal economy were then laid. Nicéphore Soglo was appointed Prime Minister by the participants of the National Conference. He formed a transitional government under the presidency of Kérékou, to put the country back to work, restore the authority of the state, moralize public life and prepare for elections. A referendum was held on December 2, 1990, at the end of which the new constitution was adopted.

Legislative elections were held in February. The assembly was chaired by Adrien Houngbédji. The presidential election was won by Nicephore Soglo. However, the new government faced a difficult economic situation and, although international aid had returned, the population saw little benefit from the economic reforms

In a difficult socio-economic context, Mathieu Kérékou, rallying to the democratic cause, was elected in March 1996 and re-elected in March 2001. But it was a very curious democracy that we saw on this occasion! Soglo and Houngbédji withdrew from the first round, which they described as a "charade," and Bruno Amoussou, who faced Kérékou in the second round, called on voters to vote for... Kérékou. In March 2006, Mathieu Kérékou finally decided to leave the political scene, as the constitution limits the number of terms to two. Even if the temptation was great to follow the example of other African heads of state and amend the Constitution...

In March 2006, Yayi Boni, a "new" candidate on the political scene, was elected and arrived with innovative ideas. Although the economic results of his first term were mixed, political stability was maintained and he was re-elected in the first round for a second term in 2011. A second term marked by a tense atmosphere in the country. Yayi Boni suspected his opponents, led by businessman Patrice Talon, of trying to get to him. Boni accuses Talon of having wanted to poison him in 2012 and then of having attempted a coup in 2013 from Paris (where he is in exile). But Boni will be forced to respect the Constitution and Talon will be able to return to Benin and run for president.

The presidential elections will see no less than 48 candidates on the starting line! Patrice Talon was finally elected in March 2016. A slap in the face for Yayi Boni, but a lesson in democracy. A great reformer, Talon is re-elected in the first round in March 2021.