Died 1993-12-07.
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Félix Houphouët-Boigny, affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was an Ivorian politician and physician who served as the first president of Ivory Coast, from 1960 until his death in 1993. A tribal chief, he worked as a medical aide, union leader, and planter before being elected to the French Parliament in 1945. He served in several ministerial positions within the Government of France…
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politics · First president of Ivory Coast, from 1960 to 1993 · politician · also Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Dia Houphouët, Papa Houphouët, Le Vieux ("The Old One"), Houphouët-Boigny
Born 18 October 1905 · Died 7 December 1993 · Q214407
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Died 1993-12-07.
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His personal wealth was estimated to be between US$7 and $11 billion
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To Nelson Mandela, president of the African National Congress, and Frederik Willem de Klerk, president of the Republic of South Africa, and has been awarded each year since, with the exception of 2001 and 2004
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Houphouët-Boigny legalised opposition parties
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And 1992, and on 2 March 1990, protesters organized mass demonstrations in the streets of Abidjan with slogans such as "thief Houphouët" and "corrupt Houphouët"
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Sponsored by UNESCO and funded entirely by extra-budgetary resources provided by the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Foundation, to honor those who search for peace
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UNESCO created the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize for the "safeguarding, maintaining and seeking of peace"
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Gbagbo returned from exile to Ivory Coast after Houphouët-Boigny implicitly granted him forgiveness by declaring that "the tree did not get angry at the bird"
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Awarded honorary doctorate from University of Montpellier-I (1987).
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Sankara was overthrown and assassinated in a coup
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Allowing many jobs to go to young Ivorian graduates, the government failed to control the rising rates of unemployment and bankruptcy in many companies
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When Ivory Coast Burkinabés accused authorities of being involved in a conspiracy to forcibly recruit young students to training camps in Libya
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“People are surprised that I like gold. It”
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Houphouët-Boigny moved the capital from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro
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After a sharp drop in the prices of coffee and cocoa
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Who, as president of the National Assembly, was entitled to exercise the full functions of president of the republic if the head of state was incapacitated or absent, Houphouët-Boigny delayed as much as he could in offic
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Awarded Collar of the Spanish Order of the Civil Merit (1979).
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Awarded honorary doctorate of the University of the Mediterranean - Aix Marseille II (1978).
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Awarded honorary doctor of Paris Descartes University (1978).
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The economy of Ivory Coast experienced a serious decline due to the sharp downturn in international market prices of coffee and cocoa
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After the Soviet Union and Cuba tried to collectively spread their influence in Angola and Ethiopia
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1969).
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(after first establishing relations in 1967) and refusing to recognise the People's Republic of China until 1983
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Following allegations of direct Soviet support to a 1968 student protest at the National University of Côte d'Ivoire
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A plan proposed by the French secret service which aimed to bring the deposed Congolese leader back into power
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Promoted the creation of the Front national de libération de la Guinée (FNLG; National Front for the Liberation of Guinea), a reserve of men ready to plot the downfall of Sékou Touré
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In a military coup; Houphouët-Boigny allowed the conspirators to use Ivory Coast as a base to coordinate the arrival and departure of their missions
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Took part in the failed coup against Mathieu Kérékou in Benin in 1977, was suspected of involvement in the 1987 coup d'état that removed Thomas Sankara from power in Burkina Faso, and provided assistance to UNITA, a Unit
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Houphouët-Boigny even offered to grant dual citizenship to nationals from member countries of the Conseil de l'Entente, but the proposition was quickly abandoned following popular protests
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Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Rennes (1965).
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To agree to taking part in an attempt to overthrow Sékou Touré
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L'Organisation commune africaine et malgache (OCAM; African and Malagasy Organization), a French organization in competition with the OAU
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To monitor political developments in the country
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“Opis: na konferencji szefów państw afrykańskich w maju 1963.”
And called for the Francophone states to boycott the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) conference scheduled to take place in Accra
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Career landmark: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (1960–1963).
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Career landmark: President of the Ivory Coast (1960–1993).
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Career landmark: Prime Minister of Ivory Coast (1960–1960).
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Houphouët-Boigny tried to sabotage the federation's efforts to wield political control; in cooperation with France, he managed to convince Upper Volta, Dahomey, and Niger to withdraw from the Mali Federation
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Allowed foreign business to repatriate up to 90% of their profits in their country of origin (the remaining 10% was reinvested in Côte d'Ivoire)
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And 1969, and again in 1970, when an unauthorised political group, the Eburnian Movement, was formed and Houphouët-Boigny accused its leader Kragbé Gnagbé of wishing to secede
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Marie-Thérèse went on a romantic escapade in Italy, while in 1961, Houphouët-Boigny fathered a child Florence (d
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Career landmark: Minister of State (1958–1959).
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Was confronted by opposition from his own government
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Having also divorced his first wife of twenty-two years earlier in 1952
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And Houphouët became the chef de canton (an office created by the colonial administration to collect taxes)
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Decided to act, leading a movement of farmers against the influential white landowners and for the economic policies of the colonial government, who favoured the farmers
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Houphouët married Kady Racine Sow (1913–2006) in Abengourou; their union was controversial because he was a practising Catholic and she was the daughter of a wealthy Muslim from Senegal
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Attended the École de médecine de l'AOF (French West Africa School of Medicine) in French Senegal, where he came first in his class in 1925 and qualified as a medical assistant
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Was transferred to the école primaire supérieure (secondary) at Bingerville in spite of his family's reluctance to have him go to boarding school
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Born 1905-10-18.
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