Paul Darboux (May 10, 1919 - 1982) was a

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

ese merchant and politician, most active when his country was known as Dahomey.

Early life

Darboux was born to a noble

Djougou Djougou is the largest city in northwestern 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. Djougou is home to a constituent monarchy. General infor ...

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 Coutoucou Hubert Maga (August 10, 1916 – May 8, 2000) was a politician from Dahomey (now known as Benin).Dahomey was renamed Benin in 1975. Se''New York Times'' obituary He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what regi ...

's deputy campaigns..

Political career

In the legislative elections of June 17, 1951, when Dahomey was allowed an additional representative in the French National Assembly, Maga ran for that office. As per a May 1951 electoral law, each candidate had to give the name 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 Défense des Intérêts Économiques, in 1956. This would occasionally go under the names of ''Union des Indépendants du Dahomey'' or ''Independents du Nord'' during his long political career. In the 1957 territorial assembly elections, he narrowly won the district of

and gained himself a seat. Darboux allied with

Sourou-Migan Apithy Sourou-Migan Marcellin Joseph Apithy (April 8, 1913 – December 3, 1989) 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 on ...

, 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 A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

Syndicat des Commerçants Africains du Dahomomey, which he used to advance his political aspirations. President

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

. 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 imprisoned 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..

References

Bibliography

* . * . * . {{DEFAULTSORT:Darboux, Paul 1919 births 1982 deaths People from Djougou People of French West Africa Economy ministers of Benin Labor ministers of Benin Social affairs ministers of Benin Trade ministers of Benin Members of the National Assembly of the French Fourth Republic Beninese merchants