SOUROU-MIGAN APITHY

Sourou-Migan Apithy was born on April 8, 1913, in Porto Novo, Dahomey (now Benin). He received his early education at local missionary schools before pursuing higher studies in France, where he earned a university degree in political science. Upon returning to France, Apithy began his career as an accountant and eventually established his own accounting firm.

In 1946, Apithy entered politics, representing Dahomey in the Constituent Assembly, and he was later elected as a deputy to the French Assembly. He was an active participant in the founding meeting of the African Democratic Rally (RDA) in Bamako, Mali, where he was elected vice-president. However, two years later, he distanced himself from the RDA, aligning his party, the Dahomean Republican Party (PRD), with the socialist ideals of Senegal's Léopold Senghor.

Apithy's political influence grew as he was re-elected as a deputy in 1951 and again in 1956, the same year he was appointed mayor of Porto Novo. In the 1957 legislative elections, the PRD faced competition from the Union Démocratique Dahoméene (UDD), led by Justin Ahomadegbe, and Hubert Maga's Mouvement Démocratique Dahoméen (MDD). The PRD emerged victorious, securing 35 of the 60 seats, leading to Apithy becoming vice-president of the Council. Despite all parties supporting Charles de Gaulle's plebiscite in 1958, Apithy's ambition to unite Dahomey with the Mali Federation was thwarted by external pressures.

The 1959 Territorial Assembly elections saw the PRD winning 37 seats, while the UDD and MDD garnered 11 and 22 seats, respectively, despite the UDD receiving more votes overall. Faced with violent protests, Apithy agreed to cede some seats to the UDD and to serve under Maga, who later became the first president of independent Dahomey in 1960. However, Maga's inability to manage economic issues led to his overthrow in a military coup in 1963. Apithy then ascended to the presidency of a civilian coalition government in January 1964.

During his presidency, Dahomey grappled with persistent economic challenges, including inflation and civil unrest, as well as ideological disagreements with his vice president, Ahomadegbe. The fragile political landscape ultimately led to his ousting in November 1965 when military leader Colonel Soglo intervened again, forcing Apithy to flee into exile in France.

While in exile, Apithy did not significantly engage in the political upheavals that followed, including the 1967 overthrow of Soglo and subsequent regime changes. In 1970, he rejoined former rivals Maga and Ahomadegbe, forming a triumvirate known as the Presidential Council with plans to govern in succession. However, their coalition was undermined by power struggles, and in 1972, a coup by Major Mathieu Kérékou derailed their efforts. The trio was placed under house arrest, marking a drastic shift in Dahomey's governance, which was rebranded as the People's Republic of Benin in 1975.

Kérékou maintained power until 1981, when Apithy, along with his former colleagues, was released from detention. However, he returned to Dahomey in poor health and passed away on November 12, 1989..

Reference: https://la-biographie.github.io/biographie-de-sourou-migan-apithy/index.html