Mathieu Kérékou: Benin's Dictator who became a Democrat
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- 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....
www.bbc.com/ne...
www.nytimes.co...
State of Africa after Independence, Martin Meredith, 2011
www.thenewhuma...
Restructuring an Authoritarian State: 'Democratic Renewal' in Benin, Chris Allen
www.bbc.com/ne...
www.nytimes.co...
www.nytimes.co...
Encyclopedia of African History 3-Volume Set, Edited By Kevin Shillington, 2004
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Music:
Heartbreaking Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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Kumasi Groove by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommon...
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/
Whimsy Groove Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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Desert City by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommon...
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/
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"If you don't leave power, power will leave you" Wise words....
Please take note that Gen Olusegun Obasanjo transitioned Nigeria from a military dictatorship to a civilian democracy in 1979, giving rise to the Second Nigeria Republic.
Great video nonetheless... God bless you.
I would like to think he had hardly an option
Since 1966 the military had done a lot of harm
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.
Nevertheless, a video on Rawlings would be similarly interesting for its own reasons! So long as it's not too soon after his passing, of course.
Jerry Rawling ? Pretty sure he did make episode about him.
@@Lucas_07-PL Ah, you're right! I guess today will be a day of watching African democracy videos!
@@TomQuiNEstPasLa Then check those two too : ruclips.net/user/AFRISTORYNETWORK
Very good video. That's all I have to say. He actually apologized to African-Americans for Benin's role in the Slave Trade.
"Benin" is really a kingdom which the British conquered in 1897 and Incorporated into Nigeria. The tribe which is majority in the real Benin is known as Bini or Edo(Idu). The Benin this guy is from was originally called Dahomey and the ruling tribe is called Fon. France dealt with the Dahomeans mainly, so most of their captives went to French speaking countries like Haiti. Yes some did get brought to America but not nearly as many as brought by the British. Not that it is a bad thing for him to have apologized to my people, but what about Haitians? They share vocabulary and religion vodou or vodun. Maybe tailor it to people in New Orleans. Also Dahomey did not cover all of what is today Republic of Benin. Several other kingdoms were in the area including Xweda or Whydah now spelled Ouidah,and Arada/Allada/Ardra. In Haiti they group the lwas or spirits they honor by tribe so there is a group called "Rada" has there been an apology to the people of Arada in Benin? How can he apologise for all the tribes in Benin even those the Fon victimized as if they were united.
@@mrhimselfalone7657 He didn't mean the historical kingdom of Benin, or the current country of Benin. He apologized for the overall kingdoms of coastal West Africa who all engaged in the slave trade which most of them did
Oh that makes it ok ,that he apologised for slavery
Its all good, our culture encircles the globe now and our community has the wealth of a nation alone. We should find some way to work together in the future.
@shauncameron8390 what is Africa -American? It's either African or American. In other words retired slaves.
🙏🏾 ✨ 🇧🇯 thanks for sharing a part of Benin’s political history
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
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.
Thank you for this feedback and thanks for watching :)
Having been a dictator with many atrocities and economic run down, how did he manage to convince people to vote for him, not once but twice? Is it that the first time there were no serious opposition to the current regime? And for the second election had he done well enough in the first phase? During these democratic reigns, did he continue with killings?
@@lewisashion7186 l lived in Cotonou for about 2 years, working for Canadian 🇨🇦 NGO's. You have to be on the ground to better understand Benin regional, political and geographic realities to better understand how and why the 1972 happened and how Mathieu Kérékou get rid of all his rivals and also how he comeback and maintains himself in power after his defeat by Nicephore Soglo, the former mayor of Cotonou. La dynamique politique du Benin est extrêmement compliquée!
@@youssefcamara3916 sure. It's very hard to understand this as an outsider.
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.
Much respect from New Jersey United States
Thanks for the feedback
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.
Mobutu died from cancer though, he wouldn't survive anyway
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 💯
"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
Thanks for sharing the knowledge. May I suggest you include a small footnote to let viewers know when images or videos are for illustration only? It is not easy to know when it is "real" footage or not.
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.
God bless Africa and Benin rep for paving the way for Democracy in Africa .
A very rare African leader he certainly was
This is a surprisingly wonderful and interestingly unexpected story that I had never heard of earlier or told in my country, Kenya
13:17 can relate , situation in Poland looked indentical. 14:18 , this too.
Very interesting story,its a modern day story of Soul turning to Paul.Thanks for the Bio.
Africa looted itself, continent wide.
Nice job guys, but there are so many inaccuracies...
I am from Benin, I will write you a little note about the inaccuracies
At least he did the right thing and gave up his power 👍👌
Woww.
All I knew about Benin was voodoo 😭
😂😅
your videos are so addictive,we want longer videos lol
Thanks lol
He’s credited for peaceful transfer of power; something that’s required of any president who’s lost election. Our standards are so low
Well done video thank you
Mathieu is so loved in benin till now..
This is a nice story , public interest . A gentle understanding that political guidance is often away
I really love your channel. Could you please do a video on the life of Hosni Mubarak
So sad Benin has returned to a dictatorship
The most luckiest presidents in Africa.
Also, the guy nevr looted anything. The main corrupt were his collaborators...
Yea it happens alot! Most times it is underlings who loot without the head honcho being aware
Kerekou was an innicent man that France took advantage of with the complicity of Albert Tevoedjre. Since the second coming back to power Benin became a french poupette, and that is hearting the country untill now
What a story.
Mather Kerekou,
Led a coup!
In 1972!
BARS!
😂😂😂😂😂
he should be deemed an African icon for his selflessness later on in his political career
What happened to the $379 million he sent to his accounts in foreign banks? Big payment for turning "democrat"!
power I tell you it goes to your head and poisons your Brian
he was hospitalised overseas why???....it shows he didnt care about his country
The one in Nigeria now runs to Europe for doctor's appointment
"If you don't leave power, power will leave you".
DAMN! If only many of our Vagabonds In Power could take note.
And he held on to the money.
Very good video
Thank you
Great video
Can i ask why the lullaby music
He knew you would watch this pass your bed time. He wanted to help tuck you in so you can sleep tight.
Hello there, thanks for watching and thanks for the feedback on the music. Some people like it and some don't and so I think going forward I will look at other background music. Again, thanks for the feedback 🙂
Cheers! Have a good one yourself.
This is same strategy J.J Rawlings of Ghana used.
This honorable president should be made national hero of Benin also I don't like the biased way how you present him like he did wickedness to his people and acting like you want to exclude the foreign forces that turn his people against him I think he's saved all of you people only thing he did wrong is not to mandate black history in schools from the basic to the tertiary level
Ok.
No he should not be made into a hero. This dude was a dictator who killed his opponents
@@wunmifash3116 I'm not totally arguing I don't know what he did personally in his country but on a wider view of things I endorse what he stand up for black Unity you obviously didn't appreciate that and if that's the case then you should be ignored he should be a national hero
He should have been jailed and executed for murder
🇧🇯
Didn't Kerekou become a Muslim?
Lol what does 0:21 look like?
Omar albasheer ousted by revolution not by military
With was supported by military.