Mathieu Kérékou: Benin's Dictator who became a Democrat
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- Опубліковано 29 лип 2021
- Around the world it is not very common for a military regime that is in power to make way for a democratically elected one. Usually the military government is toppled by another military led one and the cycle goes on and on.
However in the case of Benin, 1991 saw the military dictatorship of Mathieu Kérékou cede power after nearly two-decades in power to a government that was voted into power by the masses.
Kerekou had seized control of the West African nation in a military coup in 1972 and proclaimed a one-party Marxist state. Kérékou led Benin, as its strongman from until 1991. Until then he had had a firm grip on power and ruled the country with an iron fist.
Kerekou’s adherence to the constitution and his successful engineering of a peaceful succession was seen as a remarkable feat at the time. Benin thus became the first African state in which the army was forced from power by civilians and the first in which an incumbent president was defeated at the polls.
Kerekou would later also be elected to the presidency and was in charge for two terms from 1996 to 2005.
In this episode of African Biographics, we look at the life and legacy of Benin’s Mathieu Kerekou, who first ruled the country as a dictator and remarkably transformed into being a democrat as well as a brief history of the country of Benin.
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Sources:
Sources:
www.sahistory.org.za/place/benin
www.bbc.com/news/world-africa...
www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/wo...
State of Africa after Independence, Martin Meredith, 2011
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/fr...
Restructuring an Authoritarian State: 'Democratic Renewal' in Benin, Chris Allen
www.bbc.com/news/world-africa...
www.nytimes.com/1975/12/01/ar...
www.nytimes.com/1975/06/22/ar...
Encyclopedia of African History 3-Volume Set, Edited By Kevin Shillington, 2004
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Heartbreaking Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Whimsy Groove Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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"If you don't leave power, power will leave you" Wise words....
Very good video. That's all I have to say. He actually apologized to African-Americans for Benin's role in the Slave Trade.
He was a brave man to relinquish power like when he lost! Most dictators are cowards who would rather take the country to the grave! Most of them are afraid to face justice! He put his country first! A true benevolent dictator! Mhsrip
Fantastic history of a fascinating leader! I was going to say, his story sounds a lot like Jerry Rawlings's story, but the fact that Kerekou ran in the election, lost, and then ran again, won two terms, and then accepted his own term limits--that shows even more dedication to democracy than Rawlings, who took a while to accept his role as an equal candidate. Not to mention that Kerekou did it first, and started from a longstanding dictatorship.
🙏🏾 ✨ 🇧🇯 thanks for sharing a part of Benin’s political history
This is as usual a well researched documentary. Indeed this man was able to see the line between the lines and that helped him to make these good decisions..I love the part of apology..that is something very few leaders can ever do..but there he was apologising for his mistakes and that is why the people re-elected him..and then retired humbly. Thank you team for your great works of uploading history 👏
Thank you very much for these wonderful videos on our history, the history of Africa. I just want to add one important thing maybe you already know about that. Mathieu Kérekou was not the ring leader of that October 1972 takeover. It was triumvirate of kerekou, Michel Aikpe who was murdered later for so called having an affair with kerekou wife, Janvier Aksogba and capitaine Michel Alladaye. It was actually Janvier Aksogba who led the unit that encircled the presidential palace that Thursday morning. In the end Mathieu Kerekou managed to get rid of his main rivals and stayed in power before transitioning to la conference nationale and free and fair elections. Among our dictators in Africa, he was very visionary in his own way. Btw, l am Guinean by birth who lived and worked in Benin for Canadian international development agency (CIDA), for more than 3 years in Cotonou post dictatorship. Merci beaucoup pour votre excellent travail. Bonne journée.
Interesting story well presented . Would be great if some other African countries could take heed of the lessons to be learned from this transition to democracy.
Thank you very much for this piece of history.
Thank you. I've never known anything about Benin politics
Smart man, if Mobutu did this he would have survived. These bastard dictators should learn from him.
This is a great channel. I’ve spent past two days watching these videos. Thank you for sharing
Very good work we need more African history
I enjoyed this video. More grace 💯
A very rare African leader he certainly was
At least he did the right thing and gave up his power 👍👌
M kekekou is indeed a son to his people, just the fact that he could tender apologies to his people reasons why the confidence was still bestowed to him to came back.
"If you don't leave power, power will leave you" Very wise words especially from a man with such an experience, unfortunately so many rulers nowadays don't follow his example
13:17
Africa looted itself, continent wide.