Jean-Hilaire Aubame

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Jean-Hilaire Aubame
Foreign Minister of Gabon
In office
1961–1963
Preceded byAndré Gustave Anguilé
Succeeded byJean François Ondo
Personal details
Born(1912-11-10)10 November 1912
Libreville, Gabon
Died16 August 1989(1989-08-16) (aged 76)
Libreville, Gabon
NationalityGabonian
Political partyUnion Démocratique et Sociale Gabonaise

Jean-Hilaire Aubame (10 November 1912 – 16 August 1989) was a Gabonese politician active during both the colonial and independence periods. A member of the Fang ethnic group, Aubame was orphaned at a young age. He was raised by the stepbrother of Léon M'ba, who would become Aubame's chief political rival. Encouraged by his colleagues, Aubame entered politics, serving as Gabon's first representative in the National Assembly of France from 1946 to 1958. Fairly quickly, Gabonese politics became dominated by Aubame, supported by the Missions and the administration, and M'ba, supported by the settlers.

Despite the rivalry, now President M'ba and Aubame formed political unions, sufficiently balanced to appeal to the electorate. In thanks for his help, M'ba appointed Aubame as foreign minister and later President of the Supreme Court. Tensions soon rose between the two, and Aubame was installed as President of Gabon during a 1964 coup d'etat against M'ba. The coup was toppled three days later, and though he did not participate in the coup's planning, Aubame was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor and 10 years of exile. M'ba's successor as President, Omar Bongo, released Aubame in 1972. Aubame died in 1989 in Gabon's capital of Libreville.

Early life

Fangs in a Christian mission, c. 1912.

Born into a Fang family near Libreville,[1] Aubame lost his father at the age of eight and his mother at eleven.[2] Abbé Jean Obame, stepbrother of Léon M'ba, looked after the orphaned Aubame and arranged for schooling at several Roman Catholic missions.[2] When he graduated, M'ba helped get him a job in customs on 24 March 1931.[3] First appointed to Libreville from 1931 to 1935, he was transferred to Bangui in 1935 and then to Brazzaville in 1936,[3] where he cofounded the Mutuelle Gabonaise with a brother of politician Louis Bigmann.[4]

Following the Appeal of 18 June 1940, Aubame sided with the Free French, and in November was sent by Libreville authorities to rally Fangs for the cause.[5] From when they met in February 1942 Aubame was a protégé of colonial administrator Félix Éboué,[5] and kept Éboué informed on African affairs. Aubame's reward was to be one of several Africans promoted on 23 February 1943 into the European section of the civil service,[3] and in 1944 Éboué appointed him president of the municipal commission for the Poto Poto section of Brazzaville.[4]

Deputy to the French National Assembly

After Éboué's sudden death in March 1944, Aubame worked as an adviser to Governor-General André Bayardelle and his secretary André Soucadoux. They encouraged Aubame to run for office, and he returned to Gabon to campaign with the support of both the administration and the missionaries.[4] Aubame lost in the 1945 elections, though in November 1946 he won a seat in the French National Assembly,[3] thus becoming Gabon's first representative in it.[6] He was reelected in 1951 and 1956, lasting until the end of the Fourth French Republic.[3] Around this time, M'ba was establishing his political career after being exiled to Oubangui-Chari.[7] Affiliating with the SFIO,[3] Aubame later worked most closely with the Indépendants d'Outre-Mer. During this period he lived in Paris and toured Gabon regularly.[4]

While a deputy, he continued to develop local Gabonese politics, in particular revitalizing the Fang clans.[4] Aubame was also a leader in solving African problems, particularly developing the Gabonian standard of living.[3] He organized the Union Démocratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), whose leadership came mostly from the interior, particularly Woleu-N'Tem province.[8] had few fundamental ideological differences with the M'ba-led Bloc Démocratique Gabonais (BDG), including advocating less economic dependence on France and faster "Africanization" of French political jobs.[9] Fairly quickly, Gabonese politics became dominated by Aubame, supported by the Missions and the administration, and M'ba, supported by the settlers.[10]

In 1952 he was elected as Woleu-N'Tem's representative in Gabon's Territorial Assembly.[3] Reelected in the March 1957 elections, the UDSG also placed first, winning 18 of the 40 contested seats, against 16 for BDG.[11] M'ba's party won 21 seats against 19 for Aubame's party after a recount.[12] However, in the absence of an absolute majority, both parties were obliged to submit on 21 May 1957 a list of individuals that both agreed were suitable for election into the government.[12] That same day, M'ba was appointed vice president of the government. Soon, divisions grew within the government, and Aubame resigned from his position and filed a motion of censure against the government. The motion was rejected by a 21–19 vote.[13] With M'ba's victory, many elected UDSG members joined the parliamentary majority, giving the ruling government 29 of the 40 legislative seats. Well installed in the government, he slowly began to reinforce his power.[14]

Leader of the opposition

Flag of Gabon

After voting in favor of the Franco-African Community constitutional referendum of 28 September 1958, Gabon gained its independence.[15] Legislative elections were scheduled for 19 June 1960 through the Scrutin de Liste voting system, a form of bloc voting in which each party offers a list of candidates who the population vote for; the list that obtains a majority of votes is declared the winner and wins all the contested seats.[16] Through the redistricting of district and constituency boundaries, the BDG arbitrarily received 244 seats, while the UDSG received 77.[16] In the months that followed, the legislative majority was plagued by internal strife. M'ba, now President of Gabon, decided to dissolve the Assembly and looked to the opposition to strengthen his position.[17]

With Aubame, he formed a number of sufficiently balanced political unions to appeal to the electorate.[18] On 12 February, they won 99.75% of the vote.[19] The same day, M'ba was elected, as the only candidate, to the presidency of Gabon.[18] For his cooperation, M'ba appointed Aubame foreign minister, replacing André Gustave Anguilé.[19] In contrast to M'ba, who wanted a strong executive regime, Aubame preferred a parliamentary republic.[20] Tensions rose when a new constitution was unanimously adopted, on 21 February 1961, providing for a "hyperprésidentiel" regime.[21] Under this system, M'ba could appoint ministers whose functions and limitations are decided by him.[22]

On 19 February, he broke his ties with Aubame; all UDSG representatives were dismissed, with the exception of M'ba supporter Francis Meye.[23] In an attempt to oust Aubame from his legislative seat, M'ba appointed him President of the Supreme Court on 25 February.[24] Thereafter, M'ba claimed that Aubame had resigned from the National Assembly, citing incompatibility with parliamentary functions.[25] Aubame resolved the accusation by resigning from his post as President of the Supreme Court, complicating matters for M'ba.[25] Faced with reports of tension between the government and the National Assembly, even though 70% of its composition were BDG members, the Gabonese president dissolved the legislature on 21 January 1964[26] as an "economy measure".[27] He called for new elections to reduce the number of seats there from 67 to 47, fueling opposition.[26] The opposition announced their refusal to participate in future elections that they did not consider fair.[26]

1964 Gabon coup d'état

Main article: 1964 Gabon coup d'état
Gabonese and French military officers

From the night of 17 February to the early morning of 18 February 1964, 150 Gabonese military personnel, headed by Lieutenant Jacques Mombo and Valére Essone, arrested President of the National Assembly Louis Bigmann,[28] French commanders Claude Haulin and Major Royer,[29] On Radio Libreville, the military announced to the Gabonese people that a coup d'état had taken place, and that they required technical assistance and told the French not interfere in this matter. M'ba was instructed to broadcast a speech acknowledging his defeat.[30] "The D-Day is here, the injustices are beyond measure, these people are patient, but their patience has limits", he said. "It came to a boil."[30][31]

During these events, no gunshots were fired. The people did not react strongly, which according to the military, was a sign of approval.[32] A provisional government was formed, and the presidency was offered to Aubame.[33] The government was comprised of civilian politicians from both the UDSG and BDG, such as Paul Gondjout.[33] As for the coup plotters, they were content to ensure security for civilians. The small Gabonese army did not intervene in the coup; comprised mostly of French officers, they remained in their barracks.[34]

Instructions were given to transfer M'ba to Njolé, Aubame's electoral stronghold.[35] However, due to heavy rain, the deposed president was sent to Lambaréné,[35] 250 kilometres from Libreville. The new head of government quickly contacted French ambassador Paul Cousseran, to assure him that the property of foreign nationals would be protected and to ask him to prevent any French military intervention.[36]

But in Paris, de Gaulle decided otherwise.[34] M'ba was one of the most loyal allies to France in Africa. While visiting France in 1961, M'ba said: "[a]ll Gabonese have two fatherlands: France and Gabon."[37][38] Moreover, under his regime, Europeans enjoyed particularly friendly treatment.[38] The French authorities therefore decided, in accordance with signed Franco-Gabon agreements, to restore the legitimate government.[34] Intervention could commence without a formal request to the Head of State of Gabon.[36] Since M'ba was otherwise occupied, the French contacted the Vice President of Gabon, Paul-Marie Yembit, who had not been arrested.[36] However, he remained unaccounted for; therefore, they decided to compose a predated letter that Yembit would later sign, confirming their intervention.[34] Less than 24 hours later, French troops stationed in Dakar and Brazzaville landed in Libreville and restored M'ba to power.[39][40] Over the course of the operation, one French soldier was killed, while 15 to 25 died on the Gabonese side.[39]

Later life

The United States Embassy in Libreville

M'ba was transferred back to Libreville on 21 February.[41] Upon his return, a curfew issued by the French was lifted and some stores reopened.[29] After being reinstated, M'ba refused to consider that the coup was directed against him and his regime.[42] He believed that it was a conspiracy against the state. Soon, however, anti-government demonstrations began to take place, with slogans such as "Léon M'ba, président des Français!" (English: "Léon M'ba, president of France!") or ones that called for the end of the "dictatorship".[43] Among these demonstrators, the U.S. was very popular, being mistakenly labeled as co-conspirators in the coup.[44] Among M'ba supporters, they were not; a small bomb exploded outside the United States Embassy in Libreville on 6 March.[45] These incidents, from both dissidents and "loyalists", were quickly quelled with assistance from France.[46]

The opposition showed solidarity after Aubame was charged on 23 March for his alleged involvement in the coup d'état.[42] Despite the fact that he did not participate in the planning of the coup, Aubame was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor and 10 years of exile[47] on a remote island off the coast of Gabon.[48] While serving his 10 years of labor, he was beaten by his prison guards.[34] Besides Aubame, M'ba imprisoned over 150 of his opponents,[49] most with 20 years of hard labor.[46] He pledged "no pardon or pity" but rather "total punishment".[27]

M'ba's successor as President, Omar Bongo, released Aubame in 1972, after which Aubame lived in Paris and stayed out of politics. He did visit Libreville in 1981, on which occasion Bongo appointed him "special adviser" (a mostly honorary post). Although not a supporter of MORENA, his home was bombed on 12 December 1984 by anti-MORENA extremists, Aubame and his family barely escaping harm.[4] Aubame died in 1989 in Libreville.[3] After his death, a Libreville high school was established in his name.[50]

Notes

  1. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 24
  2. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 25
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Template:Fr "Biographies des députés de la IVe République: Jean-Hilaire Aubame", National Assembly of France, retrieved 2008-08-09
  4. ^ a b c d e f Gardinier 1994, p. 49
  5. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 26
  6. ^ Yates 1996, p. 97
  7. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 26
  8. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 27
  9. ^ Garrison, Lloyd (23 February 1964), "Many Gabonese Angered By Paris; Intervention to Crush Coup Sets Off Controversy", The New York Times, p. p. 7, retrieved 8 September 2008 {{citation}}: |page= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  10. ^ Bernault 1996, p. 224
  11. ^ Bernault 1996, p. 261.
  12. ^ a b Bernault 1996, p. 262.
  13. ^ Bernault 1996, p. 263.
  14. ^ Bernault 1996, p. 293.
  15. ^ Bernault 1996, p. 294.
  16. ^ a b Bernault 1996, p. 297.
  17. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 41.
  18. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 44.
  19. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 42.
  20. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 37.
  21. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 46.
  22. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 45.
  23. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 53.
  24. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 54.
  25. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 55.
  26. ^ a b c Biteghe 1990, p. 59.
  27. ^ a b "De Gaulle to the Rescue", Time, 28 February 1964, retrieved 6 August 2008 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help).
  28. ^ Giniger, Henry (20 February 1964), "Gabon Insurgents Yield as France Rushes in Troops", The New York Times, retrieved 17 September 2008 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  29. ^ a b Garrison, Lloyd (21 February 1964), "Gabon President Resumes Office: Mba, Restored by French, Vows 'Total Punishment' for All Who Aided Coup", The New York Times, p. p. 1, retrieved 8 September 2008 {{citation}}: |page= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "resumesoffice" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  30. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 62.
  31. ^ "Le jour J est arrivé, les injustices ont dépassé la mesure, ce peuple est patient, mais sa patience a des limites... il est arrivé à bout."
  32. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 63.
  33. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 64.
  34. ^ a b c d e Template:Fr Pesnot, Patrick (producer) & Billoud, Michel (director) (10 March 2007), 1964, le putsch raté contre Léon M'Ba président du Gabon [radio], France Inter. Retrieved on 22 August 2008.
  35. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 21.
  36. ^ a b c Biteghe 1990, p. 19.
  37. ^ "Tout Gabonaise a deux patries: la France et le Gabon."
  38. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 23.
  39. ^ a b Bernault 1996, p. 19.
  40. ^ Grundy, Kenneth W. (October 1968), "On Machiavelli and the Mercenaries", The Journal of Modern African Studies, 6 (3): 295–310, ISSN 0022-278X{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link).
  41. ^ ""No Pity, No Pardon," Gabon Rebels Warned", The Washington Post, p. p. A34, 21 February 1964 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |page= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help).
  42. ^ a b Biteghe 1990, p. 100.
  43. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 92.
  44. ^ Howe, Russell Warren (7 April 1964), "Election Sunday to Test French "Counter-Coup" in Gabon", The Washington Post, pp. p. D7 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |pages= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help).
  45. ^ "Americans Score French in Gabon", The New York Times, p. p. 3, 7 March 1964 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |page= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help).
  46. ^ a b Pederson, Nicholas (May 2000), French Intervention in the 1964 Coup In Gabon, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, retrieved 6 August 2008 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help).
  47. ^ Biteghe 1990, p. 104.
  48. ^ "Americans Score French in Gabon", The New York Times, p. p. 3, 7 March 1964 {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |page= has extra text (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  49. ^ Yates 1996, p. 113.
  50. ^ Template:Fr "Gabon: Ouverture prochain d'un CES au lycée Jean Hilaire Aubame Eyeghe", Gabonews.ga, 6 August 2007, retrieved 27 August 2008 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)

References

Preceded by Foreign Minister of Gabon
1961–1963 		Succeeded by

Template:1964 Gabon coup d'état

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