Michel Ahouanmenou
Michel Ahouamenou was a Beninese politician and diplomat, most active when his country was known as Dahomey.
Ahouamenou was born on December 23, 1916 in Porto Novo into an influential family. He was a civil service officer for several years and became a strong supporter of Sourou-Migan Apithy. Ahouamenou was elected to Dahomey's General Council in 1946, representing Porto Novo. He served as a deputy in the Afrique Occidentale Francaise from 1957 until 1959. Despite rising opposition to Apithy within the Republican Party of Dahomey in 1959, Ahouamenou stayed loyal to Apithy. Between 1959 and 1961, Ahouamenou was a senator in the Communaute Fraincaise.
In 1960, when Dahomey achieved independence, President Hubert Maga appointed Ahouamenou the minister of youth and sports. Later that year, Maga appointed Ahouamenou the minister of education, a post he held until 1963. Ahouamenou became the director of President Apithy's cabinet from 1964 to 1965 and was again minister of education under General Christophe Soglo from 1966 until 1967. After the 1967 coup d'état, Ahouamenou was accused of embezzlement and jailed briefly, though he was later absolved of all charges. He served as ambassador to France from 1967 to 1971 and Great Britain from 1969 to 1971. He held the post of foreign minister under the Presidential Council government from 1971 to 1972 but was dismissed with another coup in 1972. Ahouamenou died in 1979.
