Ahmadou Ahidjo

Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahidjo during a visit to the United States in July 1982, four months before his resignation
Ahidjo in 1982
1st President of Cameroon
In office
5 May 1960 – 6 November 1982
Prime Minister
Vice President
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byPaul Biya
1st Prime Minister of Cameroon
In office
1 January 1960 – 15 May 1960
PresidentHimself
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byCharles Assalé
Personal details
Born(1924-08-24)24 August 1924
Garoua, British Cameroon
(now Cameroon)
Died30 November 1989(1989-11-30) (aged 65)
Dakar, Senegal
Political partyCU (1958–1966)
CNU (1966–1989)
SpouseGermaine Ahidjo
Signature

Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo (24 August 1924 – 30 November 1989)[1] was a Cameroonian politician who was the first president of Cameroon from 1960 until 1982.[2][3] He was previously the first prime minister of Cameroon from the country's independence in January 1960 until May of that same year following the creation of the presidency.

Ahidjo played a major role in the establishment of Cameroon as a Neo-imperial state after the assassination of The Union Des Populations Camerounaise (UPC) by imperial France as well as integrating the French and English-speaking parts of the country.[4] During Ahidjo's time in office, he established a centralised political system.

Ahidjo established a single-party state under the Cameroon National Union (CNU) in 1966. In 1972, Ahidjo abolished the federation in favor of a unitary state.[5] Ahidjo resigned from the presidency in 1982, and Paul Biya assumed the presidency.[6] This was an action that was surprising to Cameroonians.

Accused of being behind a coup plot against Biya in 1984, Ahidjo was sentenced to death in absentia,[7] but he died of natural causes in 1989 whilst in exile in Dakar, Senegal.

  1. ^ "The story of Cameroon's first president who unified its French and English regions in 1961". Face2Face Africa. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Ahmadou Ahidjo | president of Cameroon". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  3. ^ Wabo, Lebledparle com, Chancelin (20 September 2018). "Présidentielle 2018 : En pré-campagne électorale au Sénégal, Cabral Libii s'est incliné sur la tombe d'Ahmadou Ahidjo". Le Bled Parle : Actualité Cameroun info – journal Cameroun en ligne (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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