African Convention (, CA) was a political party in

French West Africa French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...

, originally formed at a meeting in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

on 11 January 1957. The CA consisted of the Senegalese Popular Bloc (BPS) of

Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor ( , , ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese politician, cultural theorist and poet who served as the first president of Senegal from 1960 to 1980. Ideologically an African socialist, Senghor was one ...

, the African Popular Movement of Nazi Boni in Upper Volta, and the

Nigerien Democratic Front The Nigerien Democratic Front (, FDN) was a political party in Niger. It published the party journal ''L'Unité'' ('Unity'). History The party was founded by Zodi Ikhia and his followers on March 6, 1957, assembling the remainder of the Union of ...

(FDN) of Zodi Ikhia in Niger. In the 1957 territorial assembly elections, CA member parties won 96 seats. CA won in Senegal, and gained presence in three other assemblies.Chafer, Tony. ''The end of empire in French West Africa : France's successful decolonization?''.

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

: Berg, 2002. p. 210 In March 1958 the African Convention and the African Socialist Movement (MSA) merged to form the African Regroupment Party (PRA).

History

The founding congress of the African Convention, convened by

, took place from January 11 to 13, 1957 in

, the capital of

. The congress was attended by members of the Indépendants d'Outre-Mer, a parliamentary group in the

French National Assembly The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

. Senegalese MP Senghor was party president. Alexandre Adandé from Dahomey was appointed General Secretary of the party. The African Convention aims to create two federations in the French territories of Africa, which are to be member states of a federally organized French republic. Like the Mouvement Socialiste Africain (MSA), founded at the same time, and the former Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA), the Convention Africaine was organized on an inter-territorial basis, with several member parties in French overseas territories in West Africa.Edmond Séré de Rivières, Histoire du Niger. Berger-Levrault, Paris 1965, page 271.

References

*Zuccarelli, François. ''La vie politique sénégalaise (1940–1988)''. Paris: CHEAM, 1988. 1958 disestablishments in French West Africa 1957 establishments in French West Africa African and Black nationalist parties in Africa Pan-African organizations Pan-Africanist political parties in Africa Political parties disestablished in 1958 Political parties established in 1957 Political parties in French West Africa Transnational political parties {{Senegal-party-stub