Felix Houphouet-Boigny
1905 – 1993 Ivorian Independence leader, first President of Ivory Coast
Founding president who tied Ivory Coast closely to France.
- Religion
- Roman Catholic
- Affiliations
- Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), RDA
Felix Houphouet-Boigny was a planter and union organizer who became Ivory Coast's founding president in 1960 and ruled until his death. He kept close economic and political ties with France and oversaw decades of relative stability and growth known as the Ivorian miracle. Critics point to his one-party rule and the vast basilica he built in his home village.
Connections
- ally of Hamani Diori — Fellow moderate, pro-French francophone head of state.
- associate of Jacques Foccart — Close working relationship at the center of the francophone bloc.
- ally of Omar Bongo — Fellow pillar of the pro-French bloc of francophone African leaders.
In the timeline
- 1960 Independence of Ivory Coast mentioned
- 1960 Houphouet-Boigny's Cote d'Ivoire and French tutelage mentioned
- 1960 Ivory Coast becomes independent under Felix Houphouet-Boigny central figure
- 1960 Houphouet-Boigny leads Ivory Coast and names the system mentioned