Nicéphore Soglo
Nicéphore Soglo | |
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5th President of Benin | |
In office April 4, 1991 – April 4, 1996 | |
Preceded by | Mathieu Kérékou |
Succeeded by | Mathieu Kérékou |
Personal details | |
Born | Renaissance Party of Benin | November 29, 1934
Spouse | |
Children | Léhady Soglo Ganiou Soglo |
Signature | |
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo (born November 29, 1934)
Biography
Soglo was born in French Togoland. He studied law and economics at the University of Paris and the École nationale d'administration.[3] Soglo met his future wife, a Beninese student named Rosine Vieyra, in 1947, while both were studying in France as teenagers (he was 16, whilst she was 14 for she was two years his junior). The couple married on July 2, 1958.[4] They had two sons, Léhady (born 1960) and Ganiou Soglo (born 1962).
After receiving degrees in
In the late 1980s, faced with growing dissatisfaction over a stagnant economy, the Kérékou government agreed to convene a national conference that would lead the country towards
In the country's first
In the following year, the
In 1993, President Soglo headed the Benin delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development.[8]
During his presidency, Soglo took efforts to refurbish Benin's devastated economy. These economic measures caused civil unrest and undermined his popularity. Despite these problems, his government was praised for its adherence to democratic principles and respect for human rights.
In the
In a bid to regain the presidency in the
Nicéphore Soglo and the RB were victorious in the December 2002–January 2003 municipal election in Cotonou, Benin's largest city.[12] In the 12th arrondissement, Soglo defeated pro-government Movement candidate Sévérin Adjovi.[12][13] Soglo was elected as Mayor by the city's council on February 13, 2003, receiving the support of 41 of the 45 councillors,[14] and he was sworn in on the same day.[15] He said that he would focus on reducing pollution and improving waste management and drainage.[14]
While hospitalized at the American Hospital of Paris, located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Soglo was falsely reported to have died in February 2005.[16] Along with former United States President Jimmy Carter, Soglo headed the multinational delegation of the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center for the October 2005 Liberian election.[17]
Soglo ran for re-election as a municipal councillor in the April 2008 local election in Cotonou; he was also the RB candidate for Mayor, vowing to continue to modernize the city and create a system of public transportation. He faced Jérôme Dandjinou of the governing
He was succeeded as Mayor by his son, Léhady Soglo, who had previously served as his deputy.[20]
See also
- Timeline of Cotonou, 2000s–present
Notes
- ISBN 978-0-7876-0954-2. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Rosine Soglo's removal from party makes headlines". PanaPress. 2001-09-07. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ Millecamps, Matthieu (2021-07-25). "Bénin: décès de Rosine Soglo, ex-première dame devenue femme politique de premier plan". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ^ Vidjingninou, Fiacre (2021-07-26). "Bénin – Décès de Rosine Soglo : hommages unanimes de la classe politique". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- )
- Microsoft Corporation. 2008. Archived from the originalon 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
- ^ a b c d e Elections in Benin, African Elections Database.
- ^ Japan, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MOFA): 28 African nations
- ^ Benin, Year in Review: 1996, Britannica.com.
- ^ "Underfinanced Benin election promises change", afrol News, March 3, 2006.
- ^ Joe Bavier, "Son of Benin's Ex-President Vies for Presidency"[permanent dead link], VOA News, March 1, 2006.
- ^ a b "Opposition set to win in major Beninese cities", afrol News, January 12, 2003.
- ^ "I- SITUATION POLITIQUE INTERIEURE" Archived 2007-05-08 at the Wayback Machine, ambafrance-bj.org (in French).
- ^ a b "Ex-president elected mayor of Cotonou", IRIN, February 17, 2003.
- ^ "Programme summary of Radio Benin news 1930 gmt 13 Feb 03", Radio Benin (nl.newsbank.com), February 14, 2003.
- ^ "Former President of Benin Soglo still alive; death announcement was "a mistake"", Radio France Internationale, 17 February 2005.
- ^ "Former US President Carter leads foreign observer team to monitor Liberia poll", The Analyst, October 7, 2005.
- ^ "Cotonou courtisée par les candidats aux élections locales du Bénin"[permanent dead link], African Press Agency, April 18, 2008.
- ^ "Former Beninese president re-elected Cotonou Mayor"[permanent dead link], African Press Agency, June 4, 2008.
- ^ Yao Hervé Kingbêwé, "Mairie de Cotonou : Léhady Soglo prend services des mains de son père", La Nouvelle Tribune, 15 August 2015 (in French).