Abdou Diouf: Difference between revisions

| office2 = 1st President of [[Senegambia Confederation|Senegambia]]

'''Abdou Diouf''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Abdou Diouf from Senegal pronunciation (Voice of America).ogg|US|ˈ|ɑː|b|d|uː|_|d|i|ˈ|uː|f}} {{respell|AHB|doo|_|dee|OOF}}; [[Serer language|Serer]]: {{lang|srr|Abdu Juuf}}; born 7 September 19371935)<ref name=PS>[http://www.partisocialiste.sn/ps_vie/bioabdou.htm Biography at Socialist Party website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221145020/http://www.partisocialiste.sn/ps_vie/bioabdou.htm |date=21 December 2007}} {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> is a Senegalese politician who was the second [[List of Presidents of Senegal|President]] of [[Senegal]], in office from January 1981 to April 2000.

Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the [[2000 Senegalese presidential election|2000 presidential election]] to [[Abdoulaye Wade]]. He was also the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie#Executive Secretariat (Secretaries-General)|second Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]] from January 2003 to December 2014.{{fact|date=July 2023}}

Diouf was born into the [[Joof family]] in [[Louga]], Senegal, the child of an [[Toucouleur people|Halpulaar]] mother and a [[Serer people|SerereSerer]] father. He went toattended primary and secondary school at the Lycée Faidherbe in [[Saint-Louis, Senegal|Saint-Louis]],. andHe studied law at [[Dakar University]] and then at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] in [[Paris]]. Diouf graduated in 1959.<ref name="Rake"/>

After graduation, Diouf returned to Senegal, where, in September 1960, he was appointed Director of International Technical Cooperation. In November 1960, he became assistant ofto the Secretary-General of the Government and; in June 1961, he became Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defense.<ref name=PS/><ref name="Rake">Rake, African Leaders: Guiding the New Millinium, p. 193. Scarecrow Press, Inc, 2001.</ref> In 1961 he joined the [[Senegalese Progressive Union]] (''Union Progressiste Sénégalaise'', UPS), which later became the [[Socialist Party of Senegal]].<ref name=Rake/> In December 1961 he became Governor of the [[Sine-Saloum]] Region, serving in that position until December 1962, when he became Director of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 1963, he was moved to the position ofbecame Director of the Cabinet of President [[Léopold Senghor]], where he remained until December 1965. In January 1964, he became Secretary-General of the Presidency, serving until March 1968, when he became Minister of Planning and Industry. He remained in the latter position until February 1970, when he was named Prime Minister.<ref name=PS/>

In 1970, Senghor reinstated the post of prime minister, giving it to Diouf, his protégé. Senghor trusted Diouf, who had administrative experience but no independent power base of his own.<ref>Rake, African Leaders: Guiding the New Millinium, p. 193. Scarecrow Press, Inc, 2001.</ref> This was important, for Senghor's last prime minister, Mamadou Dia, was accused of using the position to launch a [[coup d'état]]. On 1 January 1, 1981, Senghor resigned in favor of Diouf, who became president of Senegal.

Diouf continued the political liberalization Senghor had begun by holding elections in 1983. He allowed fourteen opposition parties to run, instead of the four Senghor had allowed. The practical effect of this was to fragment the opposition, and Diouf won with 83.5 percent of the vote.<ref>Ungar, Africa: The People and Politics of an Emerging Continent, p. 346. Simon and Schusyer, Inc., 1978.</ref>

In 1985, opposing parties tried to form a coalition. It was broken up onbecause the groundsnational thatconstitution forbade coalitions were forbidden by the constitution.<ref>Rake, African Leaders: Guiding the New Millinium, p. 194. Scarecrow Press, Inc, 2001.</ref> Also in 1985, [[Abdoulaye Wade]], Diouf's main political opponent, was temporarily arrested for unlawful demonstration.<ref>Arnold, Africa: A Modern History, p. 688. Atlantic Books, 2005.</ref>

In February, 1988, elections were held again. Diouf won 72.3 percent of the vote to Wade's 25.8 percent, and opposing parties alleged [[electoral fraud]]. Disturbances followed, and Diouf declared a state of emergency, detaining Wade again until May of that year.<ref>Rake, African Leaders: Guiding the New Millinium, p. 195. Scarecrow Press, Inc, 2001.</ref>

Under Diouf, Senegal agreed to form a confederation called [[Sénégambia Confederation|Senegambia]] with neighboring [[Gambia]] on December 12, December 1981; this union took place on February 1, February 1982. In April 1989, the [[Mauritania-Senegal Border War]] developed, leading to an outbreak of ethnic violence and the severing of diplomatic relations with [[Mauritania]]. As the region destabilized, Senegambia was dissolved.

In 1986, Diouf began an anti-[[AIDS]] program in Senegal, before the virus was able to take off in earnest. He used the media and schools to promote safe-sex messages and required prostitutes to be registered. He also encouraged civic organizations and both [[Christians|Christian]] and [[Muslim]] religious leaders to raise awareness about AIDS. The result was that while AIDS was decimating [[HIV/AIDS in Africa|much of Africa]], the infection rate for Senegal stayed below 2 percent.<ref>Meredith,{{cite book|first=Martin|last=Meredith|title=The Fate of Africa, p.|page=367. Published by PublicAffaires, |publisher=PublicAffairs|year=2005.}}</ref>

Diouf was reelected in February 1993 with 58% of the vote<ref name=Elections>[http://africanelections.tripod.com/sn.html Elections in Senegal], African Elections Database.</ref> to a 7-year term; presidential term lengths had been extended by two years in 1991.<ref>''Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook 1997'', page 276.</ref> In the first round of the 2000 elections, on February 27 February, he took 41.3% of the vote against 30.1% for the long-time opposition leader [[Abdoulaye Wade]],. butStill, in the second round on March 19 March, he received only 41.5% against 58.5% for Wade.<ref name=Elections/> Diouf conceded defeat and left office on April 1 April.{{fact|date=July 2023}}

From this electoral defeat came oneOne of Diouf's greatest contributions to African peace came from this electoral defeat, for he gracefully surrendered power to Abdoulaye Wade, his long-time rival. When Diouf left office, Wade even said he should receive a [[Nobel Peace Prize]] for leaving without violence.<ref>Rake, African Leaders: Guiding the New Millinium, p. 196. Scarecrow Press, Inc, 2001.</ref>

Diouf was Deputy Secretary-General of the Socialist Party under Senghor. He became Secretary-General in 1981, and when the party was restructured<ref name=PS/> at its Thirteenth Congress in 1996,<ref name=Bref>[http://www.partisocialiste.sn/ps_vie/enbref.htm Page on the PS at party website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219125157/http://www.partisocialiste.sn/ps_vie/enbref.htm |date=December 19, December 2007 }} {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> he was moved to the position of President of the PS,<ref name=PS/> while [[Ousmane Tanor Dieng]] became First Secretary, having been proposed by Diouf.<ref name=Bref/>

Both during and after his presidency, Diouf has been active in international organizations. both during and after his presidency. He was President of the [[Organization of African Unity]] (OAU) from 1985 to 1986. Soon after his election, he made a personal plea to [[François Mitterrand]], the President of [[France]], resulting in France speaking strongly for sanctions against [[South Africa]]. In 1992, he was re-electedagain reelected President of the OAU again for another year-long term. He was also instrumental in the establishment ofestablishing the [[Goree Institute]].

After leaving office as President of Senegal, he was unanimously elected as Secretary-General of [[La Francophonie]] at that organization's Ninth Summit on 20 October 20, 2002 in [[Beirut]],<ref name=Premier>[https://www.afrik.com/abdou-diouf-premier-francophone "Abdou Diouf, premier francophone"], Afrik.com, 20 October 20, 2002 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref>[http://www.francophonie.org/doc/doc-sg/biographie-sg.pdf "Biographie de Monsieur Abdou Diouf"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405020739/http://www.francophonie.org/doc/doc-sg/biographie-sg.pdf |date=5 April 5, 2008 }}, francophonie.org {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> following the withdrawal of the only other candidate, [[Henri Lopes]] of the Republic of the Congo.<ref name=Premier/><ref>"Francophone summit adopts declaration, elects new OIF head", Radio France Internationale, 20 October 20, 2002.</ref> Diouf took office as Secretary-General on 1 January 1, 2003.<ref>[http://www.francophonie.org/doc/rapport-sg/2004/002_Organisation/txt-Org.html "RAPPORT DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL DE LA FRANCOPHONIE 2002-2004"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405064227/http://www.francophonie.org/doc/rapport-sg/2004/002_Organisation/txt-Org.html |date=5 April 2008 }}, francophonie.org {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He was re-electedreelected as Secretary-General for another four years at the organization's summit in [[Bucharest]] in September 2006.<ref>[http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=476527 "Diouf re-elected OIF Secretary General for four years"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001130214/http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=476527 |date=1 October 1, 2006 }}, Angola Press Agency, 30 September 30, 2006.</ref>

He is also a member of the [[Jacques Chirac Foundation for Sustainable Development and Cultural Dialogue|Fondation Chirac]]'s honour committee,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.fondationchirac.eu/en/foundation/honour-committee/|title=Honor Committee|work=Fondation Chirac|access-date=2018-01-03|language=en-US}}</ref> ever since the foundation was launched in 2008 by former French president Jacques Chirac in order to promote world peace and on the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT) International Advisory Board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.impact-alliance.org/aboutus/profile-of-IAB-members.html|title=IMPACT- International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats|website=www.impact-alliance.org|access-date=2018-01-03|archive-date=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329120358/http://www.impact-alliance.org/aboutus/profile-of-IAB-members.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, he is one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by [[Reporters Without Borders]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://rsf.org/en/abdou-diouf| title = Abdou Diouf {{!}} RSF| date = 9 September 2018}} </ref>

| [[File:SEN Order of the Lion - Grand Cross BAR.pngsvg|80px]] || [[Senegal]] || Grand Cross of the [[National Order of the Lion]]

| [[File:OBE Civil ribbon.svg|80px]] || [[United Kingdom]] || GrandHonorary officierKnight Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]]

| [[File:AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 1st Class BAR.pngsvg|80px]] || [[Austria]] || Grand Star of the [[Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria]]

| [[File:PRT Order of Saint James of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR.pngsvg|80px]]|| [[Portugal]] || Grand Cross of the [[Military Order of Saint James of the Sword]]

{{s-ttl|title=[[Chairperson of the Organisation of African UnionUnity]]|years=1985–1986}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Chairperson of the Organisation of African UnionUnity]]|years=1992–1993}}

[[Category:SererPrime presidentsministers of Senegal]]

[[Category:Secretaries-Generalgeneral of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]]