The Dahomeyan Democratic Rally (french: Rassemblement Démocratique Dahoméen, RDD) was a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

French Dahomey French Dahomey was a French colony and part of French West Africa from 1894 to 1958. After World War II, by the establishment of the French Fourth Republic in 1947, Dahomey became part of the French Union with an increased autonomy. On 4 Octobe ...

led by Hubert Maga.

History

The party was established in August 1957 by a merger of the Dahomeyan Democratic Movement led by Maga and the Independents of the North party led by

Paul Darboux Paul Darboux (May 10, 1919 - 1982) was a Beninese merchant and politician, most active when his country was known as Dahomey. Early life Darboux was born to a noble Djougou family on May 10, 1919. He soon became an important merchant, and a power ...

.Mathurin C Houngnikpo & Samuel Decalo (2012) ''Historical Dictionary of Benin'', Scarecrow Press, p305 However, Darboux left the party shortly after its establishment and refounded his party as the

Union of Independents of Dahomey The Union of Independents of Dahomey (french: Union des Indépendants du Dahomey, UNIDAHO) was a political party in French Dahomey led by Paul Darboux. History The party was established by Darboux in 1956 in the Djougou region in order to compe ...

. Like most other parties in Dahomey, it was a regional one and was heavily backed by the northern section of the French colony (particularly among the Bariba) without much support elsewhere. However, it suffered from internal rivalries between factions based in Parakou and Nikki and conflict between the Bariba and Dendi. In 1958 the party merged with the

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba consti ...

-dominated Republican Party of Dahomey (PRD) led by

Sourou-Migan Apithy Sourou-Migan Marcellin Joseph Apithy (April 8, 1913 – December 3, 1989) was a Beninese political figure most active when his country was known as Dahomey. He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region in Dahomey on ...

to form the

Dahomeyan Progressive Party The Dahomeyan Progressive Party (french: Parti Progressiste Dahoméen, PPD) was a short-lived political party in French Dahomey. History The party was established in 1958 as by the merger of the Republican Party of Dahomey led by Sourou-Migan ...

, which was to be the Dahomeyan branch of the

African Regroupment Party The African Regroupment Party (french: Parti du Regroupement Africain, PRA) was a political party in the French African colonies. Formation The PRA came into being at a meeting in Paris on March 26, 1958, months before the French Community would ...

. However, internal disagreements led to the parties splitting back into their original forms in 1959.Houngnikpo & Decalo, p306 The RDD won 22 seats in the 1959 elections, and in 1960 agreed to merge with the PRD again, this time under the name Dahomeyan Unity Party. The party was briefly re-established as the Dahomeyan National Union (''Union Nationale Dahoméene'') following a coup by Christophe Soglo in 1965. However, all parties were banned by Soglo in December 1965.

References

Bibliography

* . * . {{Beninese political parties Rassemblement Démocratique Africain Political parties established in 1957 Political parties disestablished in 1958 Political parties established in 1959 Political parties disestablished in 1960 Political parties established in 1965 Political parties disestablished in 1966 Defunct political parties in Benin