Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UNDERSTAND BENIN
TOP OF CHAPTER
Benin Today
The country is one of the more stable in the region, although things are not all that rosy.
The current president, Yayi Boni, former head of the West African Development Bank, beat
Adrien Houngbédji in a run-off in 2006. In his campaign, which he based around the slogan
of 'change', he pledged to fight corruption and revive the country's economy.
It hasn't, however, been plain sailing: despite Boni's party winning a majority of seats in
the parliamentary elections of 2007 and a number of local seats in the 2008 municipal elec-
tions, reforms have come about more slowly than hoped. Yayi Boni was re-elected in
March 2011. In theory, the constitution limits presidents to two terms in office, but opposi-
tion parties fear that Boni may try to reform the constitution in order to stand for a third
mandate in 2016.
TOP OF CHAPTER
History
More than 350 years ago the area now known as Benin was split into numerous principalit-
ies. Akaba of Abomey conquered his neighbouring ruler Dan and called the new kingdom
Dan-Homey, later shortened to Dahomey by French colonisers. By 1727, Dahomey spread
from Abomey down to Ouidah and Cotonou and into parts of modern Togo. The kingdoms
of Nikki, Djougou and Parakou were still powerful in the north, as was the Kingdom of
Toffa in Porto-Novo.
Each king pledged to leave his successor more land than he inherited, achieved by wa-
ging war with his neighbours. They grew rich by selling slaves to the European traders,
notably the Portuguese, who established trading posts in Porto Novo, Ouidah and along the
coast. For more than a century, an average of 10,000 slaves per year were shipped to the
Americas. Southern Dahomey was dubbed the Slave Coast.
Following colonisation by the French, great progress was made in education, and many
Dahomeyans were employed as government advisers throughout French West Africa.
 
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search