File:Mathieu_Kérékou_2006Feb10_(cropped).JPG · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Mathieu Kérékou
Sign in to saveAlso known as Mathieu Kerekou, Chaad Mathieu Kérékou
politician (1933-2015)
Mathieu Kérékou was a Beninian military and political leader who served as president of the West African nation of Benin during much of the late 20th century. He is historically significant for his role in Benin's transition from authoritarian military rule to democratic governance in the early 1990s.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- Benin
- Place of birth
- Kouarfa
- Place of death
- Cotonou
- Occupation
- statesperson
- Political party
- People's Revolutionary Party of Benin
- Languages spoken
- French
- Religion
- evangelism
- Military rank
- soldier
- Image
- Mathieu Kérékou 2006Feb10.JPG
Show 7 more facts
- Commons category
- Mathieu Kérékou
- date of birth
- 1933-09-02
- date of death
- 2015-10-14
- Commons gallery
- Mathieu Kérékou
- name in native language
- Mathieu Kérékou
- P10632
- Mathieu Kérékou
- place of burial
- Natitingou
via Wikidata · CC0
~15 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Mathieu Kérékou ( French pronunciation: [ma.tjø ke.ʁe.ku]; 2 September 1933 – 14 October 2015) was a Beninese politician who served as president of the People's Republic of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and the Republic of Benin from 1996 to 2006.
After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 18 years under an officially Marxist–Leninist ideology, before he was stripped of his powers by the National Conference of 1990. He was defeated in the 1991 presidential election but was returned to the presidency in the 1996 election and controversially re-elected in 2001.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Mathieu Kérékou” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.