55 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
55 lines
2.7 KiB
Markdown
The **Benin Uprising of 1989** was a series of
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[strikes](List_of_General_Strikes "wikilink") and riots by workers and
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students in [Socialist Benin](Socialist_Benin "wikilink") in
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[1989](Revolutions_of_1986_-_1992 "wikilink") and
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[1990](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Western_Africa "wikilink")
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against the authoritarian government, poor living conditions and desire
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for a new society.
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## Background
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Benin had been a [Marxist-Leninist](Marxist-Leninism "wikilink") state
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since 1974, and throughout the 1980s the economy was failing and
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implemented [neoliberal](Neoliberalism "wikilink") reforms suggested by
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the IMF. In the midst of a massive economic crisis, loss of social
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support and rising cost of living.
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## Events
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One of these IMF reforms was to end student scholarships, which began a
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strike which soldiers were sent to disperse and arrested some. Soon,
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school teachers and several civil servants began to strike over unpaid
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wages, also employing go-slows. Students went on indefinite strike and
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the government argued to fire all these strikers. Soon, students began
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battling police (throwing stones and chairs), looting government
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buildings and burning pictures of the president. The government
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announced increased militarisation of the country and the sacking of all
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striking civil servants, being replaced with younger university
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graduates.
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Teachers left and later rejoined the strike after a 50% cut in wages and
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demanded the release of arrested strikers. Soon the government began to
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pay the teachers but refused to pay their stolen wages. The government
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closed all schools for the year to destroy the strikes. However, it soon
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began to cave further into releasing all political prisoners but also
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cancelling the next year of school. After an announcement for
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democratisation and transition to capitalism, 40,000 people protested
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against the government, attempting to burn down a statue of Lenin, they
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killed several police (who also killed protesters). In several towns,
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citizens attempted to replace mayors with their own elected officials.
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Police arrested at least one of these citizen-elected mayors.
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## Results
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At the beginning of 1991 the transition government held successful
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liberal democratic elections. Although the university held a separate
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strike for educational changes several months after the end of their
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year long strike, they appeared to have received most of their initial
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economic goals. It is also not clear how much of the salary arrears were
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eventually paid to teachers and civil servants.
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## References
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[Global Nonviolent Action
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Database](Global_Nonviolent_Action_Database "wikilink") -
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<https://libcom.org/history/1989-90-beninese-campaign-economic-justice-democracy> |