Paul Darboux
Encyclopedia
Paul Darboux is a Benin
ese merchant and politician, most active when his country was known as Dahomey
.
family on May 10, 1919. He soon became an important merchant, and a power base rapidly grew around him, among the Dendi
and Wangara
peoples of the north. He had ambitions on the Dahomeyan political scene, and helped finance Hubert Maga
's deputy campaigns.
, Maga ran for that office. As per a May 1951 electoral law, each candidate had to give the names of another who would occupy the second seat in the event that the other party's first candidate came in third or below. Maga decided to run with Darboux, and won the election.
He founded his own political party, the Defense des Interets Economiques, in 1956. This would occasionally go under the names of Union des Independants du Dahomey or Independents du Nord during his long political career. In the 1957 territorial assembly elections, he narrowly won the district of Djougou
and gained himself a seat. Darboux allied with Sourou-Migan Apithy
, and was rewarded with the post of Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Apithy's government of 1958. The new minister owned the trade union
Syndicat des Commercants Africains du Dahomomey, which he used to advance his political aspirations.
President Hubert Maga
retained Darboux in his administration from 1960 to 1963 as Minister of Economics and Commerce. He gained power in the Atakora region and hatred in Djougou
. On October 28, 1963, Chief of Staff of the 800-man Dahomeyan Army Christophe Soglo
overthrew Maga and established his own regime. In its wake, Darboux was thrown in jail for mishandling fiscal resources. His whereabouts were unknown until 1970, when he campaigned for Maga in the upcoming election. When a Presidential Council form of government was established that year, Darboux was voted president of the Assemblée Consultative Nationale, a consultative assembly. After the October 1972 coup, the Assemblée was dismissed.
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
ese merchant and politician, most active when his country was known as Dahomey
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
.
Early life
Darboux was born to a noble DjougouDjougou
Djougou is the largest city in north west Benin. It is an important market town. The commune covers an area of 3,966 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 181,895 people.-General Information:...
family on May 10, 1919. He soon became an important merchant, and a power base rapidly grew around him, among the Dendi
Dendi
Dendi is the name of several African-related subjects:* Dendi Kingdom* Dendi is a district or woreda in Ethiopia;* Mount Dendi, also in Ethiopia;* Dendi people is one of the ethnic groups living in Benin and Niger;...
and Wangara
Wangara
Wangara may refer to:*The Soninke Wangara of West Africa*Wangara, Western Australia*Wangara, Burkina Faso...
peoples of the north. He had ambitions on the Dahomeyan political scene, and helped finance Hubert Maga
Hubert Maga
Coutoucou Hubert Maga was a politician from Dahomey .Dahomey was renamed Benin in 1975. See . He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region in Dahomey they lived...
's deputy campaigns.
Political career
In the legislative elections of June 17, 1951, when Dahomey was allowed an additional representative in the French National AssemblyFrench National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
, Maga ran for that office. As per a May 1951 electoral law, each candidate had to give the names of another who would occupy the second seat in the event that the other party's first candidate came in third or below. Maga decided to run with Darboux, and won the election.
He founded his own political party, the Defense des Interets Economiques, in 1956. This would occasionally go under the names of Union des Independants du Dahomey or Independents du Nord during his long political career. In the 1957 territorial assembly elections, he narrowly won the district of Djougou
Djougou
Djougou is the largest city in north west Benin. It is an important market town. The commune covers an area of 3,966 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 181,895 people.-General Information:...
and gained himself a seat. Darboux allied with Sourou-Migan Apithy
Sourou-Migan Apithy
Sourou-Migan Marcellin Joseph Apithy was a Beninese political figure most active when his country was known as Dahomey. He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region in Dahomey they lived....
, and was rewarded with the post of Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in Apithy's government of 1958. The new minister owned the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
Syndicat des Commercants Africains du Dahomomey, which he used to advance his political aspirations.
President Hubert Maga
Hubert Maga
Coutoucou Hubert Maga was a politician from Dahomey .Dahomey was renamed Benin in 1975. See . He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region in Dahomey they lived...
retained Darboux in his administration from 1960 to 1963 as Minister of Economics and Commerce. He gained power in the Atakora region and hatred in Djougou
Djougou
Djougou is the largest city in north west Benin. It is an important market town. The commune covers an area of 3,966 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 181,895 people.-General Information:...
. On October 28, 1963, Chief of Staff of the 800-man Dahomeyan Army Christophe Soglo
Christophe Soglo
Christophe Soglo was a Beninese military officer and political leader and one of the most important figures in Benin's period of political instability and frequent, though usually bloodless, coups during the 1960s.-Biography:...
overthrew Maga and established his own regime. In its wake, Darboux was thrown in jail for mishandling fiscal resources. His whereabouts were unknown until 1970, when he campaigned for Maga in the upcoming election. When a Presidential Council form of government was established that year, Darboux was voted president of the Assemblée Consultative Nationale, a consultative assembly. After the October 1972 coup, the Assemblée was dismissed.