Yayi Boni
4366567
223621946
2008-07-04T22:52:16Z
Harald Haugland
7192844
iw:no
{{Infobox President
| name = Thomas Yayi Boni
| image = BoniYayi inauguration2006.jpg
| caption = Thomas Yayi Boni taking the oath of office as President of Benin
| order = [[President of Benin]]
| vicepresident =
| term_start = [[06 April]] [[2006]]
| term_end =
| predecessor = [[Mathieu Kérékou]]
| successor =
| birth_date = [[1952]]
| birth_place = [[Tchaourou]], [[French Dahomey|Dahomey]]
| spouse = Chantal Boni
| party = [[Independent (politician)|Independent]]
| religion = [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestant]]<ref>[http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=7135&lan=eng Fides Service- Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
}}
{{Commons|Yayi Boni}}
Dr '''Thomas Yayi Boni''' (born [[1952]]), a [[Benin]]ois banker and politician, is the current [[President of Benin]]. He took office on [[6 April]] [[2006]] after winning [[Benin presidential election, 2006|elections]] held in the previous month.
Boni was born in [[Tchaourou]], in the [[Borgou Department]] in northern Benin, then the [[French Dahomey|French colony of Dahomey]]. He was educated in the regional capital, [[Parakou]], and later studied economics at the [[National University of Benin]]. He studied banking at [[Cheikh Anta Diop University]] in [[Dakar]], [[Senegal]], and later economics and politics at the [[University of Orléans]] in [[France]] and at [[Paris University]], where he completed a doctorate in economics in 1976.
From 1980 to 1988 Boni worked for the [[Central Bank of the States of West Africa]] (BCEAO), becoming its Deputy Director, based in Dakar. In 1988 he became Deputy Director for Professional Development at the [[West African Centre for Banking Studies]], also in Dakar. From 1992 to 1994 he worked in the office of the [[President of Benin]], [[Nicéphore Soglo]], in charge of monetary and banking policy. Finally in 1994 he was appointed President of the [[West African Development Bank]] (BOAD). For his work on West African development he was appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre National de Mérite of the French Republic.
In the first round of the presidential elections, held on 5 March, Boni polled 32 percent. His nearest challenger, [[Adrien Houngbédji]] of the [[Democratic Renewal Party (Benin)|Party for Democratic Renewal]], polled 25 percent. Twenty-six candidates contested the election, which was reported to have been peaceful and fair. A runoff was held between Boni and Houngbédji on March 19; Boni won with almost 75 percent of the vote.
Originally from a [[Islam|Muslim]] <ref> [http://www.afrol.com/articles/18536] Yayi Boni is Benin's next President</ref> family, Boni is now an [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Protestant]]. He has five children, and his wife Chantal (''née'' de Souza), a native of the coastal city of [[Ouidah]], is the niece of the former military ruler [[Paul-Émile de Souza]].
===Assassination attempt===
On [[March 15]], [[2007]], Yayi Boni survived an ambush on his convoy near the village of Ikemon while returning from an election campaign rally in the town Ouesse for the upcoming [[Beninese parliamentary election, 2007|parliamentary elections]]. The attackers blocked the road with downed trees, and fired upon the vehicle that usually carries the President; however President Boni was traveling in a separate vehicle. Several of his entourage were wounded in the ensuing crossfire between the presidential guard and the would-be assassins.<ref name=Yayiboni.com> [http://www.yayiboni.com/article.php?id_article=428 "Shooting of the Presidential Convoy and attempted assassination of President Yayi Boni"], [[Yayiboni.com]], 03/16/2007.</ref>
==See also==
* [[Tokyo International Conference on African Development]] (TICAD-IV), 2008.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{fr icon}} [http://www.yayiboni.com/ Official site]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4835336.stm BBC News: Benin's new president announced]
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061214-4.html# President Bush Meets with President Yayi of Benin]
{{BeninPresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boni, Yayi}}
[[Category:Beninese politicians]]
[[Category:Converts to Christianity]]
[[Category:Current national leaders]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Presidents of Benin]]
[[Category:Beninese Evangelicals]]
[[category:Former Muslims]]
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