The Democratic Union for the Defense of African Interests (French: ''Union démocratique de défense des intérêts africains'', UDDIA) was a conservative,

Francophile A Francophile, also known as Gallophile, is a person who has a strong affinity towards any or all of the French language, French history, French culture and/or French people. That affinity may include France itself or its history, language, cuisin ...

political party in the early years of the

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

. The UDDIA was founded in 1956 by

Fulbert Youlou Abbé Fulbert Youlou (29 June,In ''African Powder Keg: Revolt and Dissent in Six Emergent Nations'', author Ronald Matthews lists Youlou's date of birth as 9 June 1917. This date is also listed in ''Annuaire parlementaire des États d'Afrique noi ...

. In the territorial election of March 1957, the UDDIA won 21 of 45 seats and Youlou became prime minister of a minority government the next year. In the 1958 referendum on a new French constitution, the UDDIA supported a "yes" vote. In the pre-independence election of 1959, the UDDIA won 51 of 61 seats and Youlou formed a coalition government with his rival

Jacques Opangault Jacques Opangault (13 December 1907 – 20 August 1978) was a Congolese politician. The founder of the '' Mouvement Socialiste Africain'' (MSA; en, African Socialist Movement), he competed with Félix Tchicaya's ''Parti Progressiste Congolais'' ( ...

of the

African Socialist Movement African Socialist Movement (french: Mouvement Socialiste Africain, MSA) was a political party in French West Africa. The MSA was formed following a meeting of the Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière (SFIO) federations of Cameroon, ...

(MSA). The Republic of the Congo achieved independence from France on August 15, 1960, and Youlou became president of the new state. In 1963, after Youlou attempted to make the Congo a one-party state, he was overthrown in the ''

Trois Glorieuses The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...

'' and fled the country; his party was dissolved.

References

* Segal, Ronald. ''Political Africa: A Who's Who of Personalities and Parties''. London: Stevens & Sons Limited, 1961. pp. 317-318. * Thompson, Virginia, and Richard Adloff. ''Historical Dictionary of the People's Republic of the Congo'', 2nd ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1984. pp. 181-182. {{RCongo-party-stub Political parties established in 1956 Political parties disestablished in 1963 Defunct political parties in the Republic of the Congo