Gabriel marquis d'Arboussier (14 January 1908 – 21 December 1976) was a

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

ese- French politician. Son of the baron Henri d’Arboussier-Monplaisir, a colonial governor (from a wealthy family of farmers) and la princesse Mossi, a Muslim mother, studied in France and began a career as a colonial administrator. D'Arboussier served in the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

from 1945 until 1946, and from 1946 he was member of

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

's first constituent assembly under Houphouet-Boigny, a founder of the

African Democratic Rally African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** List ...

(RDA), where he became secretary general. The same year he was co-opted by his party to be a counselor of the French Union (for

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

). In 1949, he traveled around the world and made a journey to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. A colorful character, cultured and brilliant, Arboussier fell out with Houphouet-Boigny, costing him his mandate in the RDA and the French Union. He was the first Vice-President and Chairman of the Grand Council of the AOF from March 1958 to January 1959. After the wave of decolonization, he became Minister of Justice in Senegal (1960-1962). He also served as a Deputy Director of UNESCO from 1963 to 1964 and ambassador to France at the same time, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of the United Nations (1965-1966) and was Appointed Ambassador to West Germany in 1974.

References

*Robert Cornevin, ''Hommes et destins : dictionnaire biographique d'outre-mer'',

Académie des sciences d'outre-mer Académie des sciences d'outre-mer (formerly ) is a learned society created in 1922 whose field of activity is mainly geography and general history in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. Its headquarters are located in the 16th arrondissement ...

, 1975, p. 8-9
1st page on the French National Assembly website

2nd page on the French National Assembly website
1908 births 1976 deaths People from Mopti Region People of French West Africa Union progressiste politicians Rassemblement Démocratique Africain politicians Justice ministers of Senegal Members of the Constituent Assembly of France (1945) Ambassadors of Senegal to West Germany Ambassadors of Senegal to France {{Senegal-politician-stub