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]] [[de:Boni Yayi]] [[et:Yayi Boni]] [[el:Γιαγί Μπονί]] [[es:Yayi Boni]] [[fr:Yayi Boni]] [[hr:Yayi Boni]] [[io:Thomas Yayi Boni]] [[id:Yayi Boni]] [[is:Yayi Boni]] [[it:Yayi Boni]] [[sw:Yayi Boni]] [[nl:Yayi Boni]] [[no:Yayi Boni]] [[nn:Yayi Boni]] [[oc:Yayi Boni]] [[pl:Yayi Boni]] [[pt:Thomas Yayi Boni]] [[ru:Бони, Яйи]] [[fi:Yayi Boni]] [[sv:Yayi Boni]] [[zh:亚伊·博尼]]