A Brief History of Benin

Benin (formerly Dahomey or Fon) was established in 1625. In 18th century, Europeans began arriving as the kingdom of Dahomey was expanding their territory. Portuguese, French, and Dutch came to established trading posts along the coast of Porto-Novo, Ouidah, and Cotonou, and traded weapons for slaves. The indigenous Edo people, also known as Bini or Benin people, established good relations and an extensive slave trade with the Portuguese and Dutch. Slave trade ended in 1848.

As of 1900, the territory became a French colony ruled by a French Governor. Expansion continued to the north up to the border with former Upper Volta. It became an autonomous republic within the French Community in December 4, 1958. The Republic of Benin gained full independence from France in August 1, 1960.

In 1963, the first president of Benin, Hubert Maga, was disposed by General Christophe Soglo in an army coupe. He proclaimed himself as the chief of state and dismissed the civilian government in 1965. Soglo was dispose in Dec. 1967 by a group of young army officers and in May 1970 a 3-man presidential commission with a six-year term was created to take the government. Another army coup ousted the triumvirate and installed Lt. Col. Mathieu Kerekou as president and in between 1974 and 1989 the country embraced socialism and changed its name to People’s Republic of Benin. The country’s name was changed again to Republic of Benin in 1990 ending the Marxist ideology and began moving toward multiparty democracy.

Benin was thus the first African country to effect successfully the transition from dictatorship to a pluralistic political system.