History of Benin facts for kids

The History of Benin explores the past of this West African country, which was known as the Republic of Dahomey before becoming the People's Republic of Benin in 1975. This story covers events from the 16th century up to the present day.

Benin as a French Colony (1904-1959)

From 1904 to 1959, Benin was a colony of France. It was part of a larger area called French West Africa. During this time, the French built a port in Cotonou, which is a major city in Benin today. They also built railroads to help transport goods.

Schools were also improved and expanded, often by Roman Catholic missions. In 1946, Dahomey became an "overseas territory." This meant it had its own local parliament and could send representatives to the French national assembly. On December 4, 1958, it officially became the Republic of Dahomey.

Benin After Independence (1960-Today)

After gaining independence in 1960, Benin went through a period of many changes. Between 1960 and 1972, there were several military coups. A coup is when the military takes control of the government by force. These coups led to many different governments ruling the country.

The last of these coups brought Major Mathieu Kérékou to power. His government followed strict Marxist-Leninist ideas, which meant the government had strong control over the country. In 1975, the Republic of Dahomey changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin. Kérékou's political party, the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB), held complete power for many years.

Benin's Shift to Democracy (1990s)

In the early 1990s, with encouragement from France and other democratic countries, Kérékou allowed a national meeting to take place. This meeting led to a new democratic constitution for Benin. Soon after, presidential and legislative elections were held.

Kérékou's main opponent in the presidential election was Prime Minister Nicéphore Soglo. Soglo won the election, and his supporters also gained a majority of seats in the National Assembly. This made Benin the first African country to successfully change from a dictatorship to a democratic system with multiple political parties.

Elections and Political Changes (1995-2003)

In the National Assembly elections of March 1995, Nicéphore Soglo's party, the Parti de la Renaissance du Benin, won the most seats but did not have a full majority. A party formed by supporters of former president Kérékou did well. Even though Kérékou had officially retired, he successfully ran for president again in both the 1996 and 2001 elections.

During the 2001 elections, some people claimed there were problems and unfair practices. Because of this, the main opposition candidates refused to participate in the second round of voting. The top four candidates after the first round were Mathieu Kérékou (who was president at the time), Nicéphore Soglo (former president), Adrien Houngbédji, and Bruno Amoussou. Soglo and Houngbedji pulled out, saying the election was unfair. This meant Kérékou ended up running against his own Minister of State, Amoussou.

In December 2002, Benin held its first local elections for cities and towns since the time of the Marxist-Leninist government. Most of these elections went smoothly. However, there were problems in one district of Cotonou, which would decide who would become the city's mayor. This specific election had to be repeated. Nicéphore Soglo's party, Renaissance du Benin (RB), won the new vote. This allowed Soglo to be elected Mayor of Cotonou in February 2002.

National Assembly elections were held in March 2003. These elections were generally seen as fair. Although there were a few small issues, they did not greatly affect the results. Soglo's RB party lost some seats in these elections. Other opposition parties, like the Party for Democratic Renewal (PRD) led by Adrien Houngbedji, joined the government.

Recent Elections and Leadership (2006-Today)

In March 2006, Yayi Boni, who used to be a director at the West African Development Bank, won the presidency. He was one of 26 candidates. International groups like the United Nations and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said the election was free and fair. President Kérékou could not run again because the 1990 constitution limited presidents to two terms and set an age limit. President Yayi Boni officially took office on April 6, 2006.

Benin held elections for the 83 seats in the National Assembly on March 31, 2007. The Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), a group of parties linked to President Yayi Boni, won the most seats. This gave the president a lot of power over new laws.

In March 2011, President Boni Yayi was re-elected for a second term in the election, winning 53.13 percent of the votes in the first round. His main opponent disagreed with the results, claiming there were many problems.

In October 2015, former President Mathieu Kérékou passed away at the age of 82. He had ruled Benin for a total of 28 years during his two times as president (1972-1991 and 1996–2006).

After President Boni Yayi served his two five-year terms, a businessman named Patrice Talon became the next president. Talon won the March 2016 presidential election, defeating Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou. Zinsou was the candidate for Boni Yayi's party, the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE).

In April 2021, the current president, Patrice Talon, won re-election in the election with 86 percent of the votes in the first round. Changes in the election laws meant that President Talon's supporters now had total control of the parliament.

See also

In Spanish: Historia de Benín para niños

• History of Africa
• History of West Africa
• List of heads of government of Benin
• List of heads of state of Benin
• Politics of Benin
• Cotonou history and timeline