Félix Houphouët-Boigny

18 October 1905 - 7 December 1993

“Man has gone to the moon but he does not yet know how to make a flame tree or a bird song. Let us keep our dear countries free from irreversible mistakes which would lead us in the future to long for those same birds and trees.”

Félix Houphouët-Boigny, commonly known as Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux (The Old One), was the first president of the Ivory Coast when the country gained independence in 1960. Although Houphouët-Boigny had a small stature and a calm voice, he was one of Africa’s most powerful and impactful leaders. Ivory Coast prospered economically under his leadership, which was a rare occurrence in West Africa. This was accomplished through meticulous planning and strong ties with Western countries.

Image taken from Wikipedia

Early Life

Félix Houphouët-Boigny (named Dia Houphouët at birth) was born on 18 October 1908 (date is not completely confirmed) in Yamoussoukro, southern Ivory Coast. N’Doli Houphouët, his father, was a Baoulé tribal chief and a prosperous cocoa farmer. Houphouët-Boigny descended from tribal chiefs through his mother, Kimou N'Drive. He had two older sisters, Adjoua and Faitai, and one younger brother, Augustin. Houphouët-Boigny’s father died after the birth of his brother and his mother died in 1936.

 

In 1915, Houphouët-Boigny moved to Bingerville and enrolled in the école primaire supérieure (secondary school), despite the fact that his parents were opposed to him attending boarding school. Houphouët-Boigny converted to Christianity and changed his name to Félix while in Bingerville. He excelled in school and earned a teaching degree from École William Ponty in 1919. He then studied medicine at the École de médecine de I'AOF (French West Africa School of Medicine), graduating in 1925 and subsequently working as a medical assistant.

Medicine

Houphouët-Boigny spent the next 15 years practicing medicine in a various cities. His career began in Abidjan at a hospital, but was cut short when the administrative authorities opposed the association he formed for indigenous medical personnel, deeming it a trade union. They transferred him to a hospital in Guiglo in 1927 and two years later he was promoted to a position in Abengourou. Whilst working in Abengourou, Houphouët-Boigny was exposed to the poor treatment of the cocoa farmers by the colonists. In 1932, he founded a farmers' movement with the goal of enacting farmer-friendly economic policies.

The following year, Houphouët-Boigny was summoned by his tribe to assume the responsibilities of village chief. He declined due to his career commitments, which resulted in his brother Augustin assuming the position. Houphouët-Boigny relocated to Toumodi in 1936 to be closer to his village. In 1938, he was forced to choose between his career as a doctor and his involvement in local politics by his clinical director. Ultimately, this decision was made for him when he became a tax collector for the colonial administration (chef de canton) and his brother died in 1939. In 1940, his medical career came to an end.

Union Leader

Houphouët-Boigny assumed control of his family's farm, one of the largest in the country, and worked to expand the farm's cocoa, rubber, and coffee crops, eventually becoming one of Africa's wealthiest farmers. In 1944, he co-founded the African Agricultural Union with the colonial administration (Syndicat Agricole Africain, SAA). The SAA united African farmers dissatisfied with their working conditions and demanded improved working conditions and higher wages. It was vehemently anti-racist and anti-colonialist, rapidly growing and causing consternation among colonists.

Houphouët-Boigny won the first Abidjan city council elections in August 1945. In October, the French government sought to represent its colonies in the aseemblée constituante (Constituent Assembly), by allocating two representatives to Côte d'Ivoire and Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), one for French citizens and one for indigenous people.Houphouët-Boigny was the first candidate for the indigenous seat, but, he did not win the absolute majority. He won the subsequent round of elections in November and changed his name to Boigny, which means "irresistible force." He became the deputy to the French Constituent Assembly.

Road to Independence

In 1946 Houphouët-Boigny founded the first Ivorian political party, the Parti Démocratique de la Côte d’Ivoire (PDCI), which was affiliated with the French Communist Party. The PDCI was also a part of the Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA), which was an expansive network of French-speaking West African political parties. The French were hostile to the PDCI, especially after the communist party opposed France. Houphouët-Boigny cut ties with them to work with France, which strengthened his party.

Houphouët-Boigny served as minister of health, assistant to the French prime minister, and member of the French National Assembly from 1956 to 1960. Houphouët-Boigny advocated for an Africa that, rather than sharing poverty, would be comprised of prosperous nations. Additionally, unlike other African leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Houphouët-Boigny believed that African countries should not seek immediate independence but should instead transition to it, as he believed political independence without economic independence was unjustifiable.

President

Houphouët-Boigny was the prime minister in 1959 and the following year, the country gained independence from the French, with Houphouët-Boigny being elected as its first president, a position he would hold until his death. During his presidency, the country's economy expanded, as the country was a major exporter of coffee, palm oil, pineapples, and cocoa. He was receptive to foreign investment and had strong ties to France. His one-party rule was rarely challenged because he was able to reach out to and cooperate with his opponents. Until the 1990 elections, the PDCI was the only party allowed to contest elections. This changed in 1990, when Houphouët-Boigny agreed to a multi-party system in response to international pressure.

Félix Houphouët-Boigny’s life would end in his home city, Yamoussoukro, where it began. He died on 7 December 1993, ending his presidency.

References

Félix Houphouët-Boigny | president of Côte d’Ivoire (2021). Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Felix-Houphouet-Boigny (Accessed: 8 June 2021).

Felix Houphouët-Boigny (2021). Available at: https://biography.yourdictionary.com/felix-houphouet-boigny (Accessed: 8 June 2021).

Félix Houphouët-Boigny (2021). Available at: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095946592 (Accessed: 8 June 2021).

Micklin, A. (2008) Félix Houphouet-Boigny (1905-1993) •, Blackpast.org. Available at: https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/houphouet-boigny-felix-1905- 1993/ (Accessed: 8 June 2021).

QUOTES BY FELIX HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY | A-Z Quotes (2021). Available at: https://www.azquotes.com/author/50105-Felix_Houphouet_Boigny (Accessed: 8 June 2021).

The Ivory Coast’s Félix Houphouët-Boigny – “A Master Manipulator and Destabilizer” (2015). Available at: https://adst.org/2015/04/the-ivory-coasts-felix- houphouet-boigny-a-master-manipulator-and-destabilizer/ (Accessed: 8 June 2021).