- African Agricultural Union
The African Agricultural Union ( _fr. Syndicat agricole africain, SAA) was the first quasi-political party in
Côte d'Ivoire , led byFélix Houphouët-Boigny throughout its existence. It was established on3 September 1944 by Houphouët-Boigny and the colonial administration.History
The SAA was established on
3 September 1944 by Houphouët-Boigny and the colonial administration at an inaugural meeting inAbidjan .Ellenbogen, pp. 26–31.] Under his presidency, it brought together African farmers who were dissatisfied with their paychecks and worked to protect their interests against those of European settlers.fr cite book|last=|first=|chapter=Félix Houphouët-Boigny|title=Encyclopædia Universalis |publisher=Encyclopædia Universalis|location=Paris|year=1975] cite news |first=Kenneth B. |last=Noble |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Ivory Coast's Leader Since Freedom in 1960, Is Dead |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEED6133DF93BA35751C1A965958260 |work=New York Times |publisher= |date=1993-12-08 |accessdate=2008-07-23 ] Anti-colonialist and anti-racist, the organisation demanded better working conditions, higher wages, and the abolition ofunfree labour . The union quickly received the support of nearly 20,000 plantation workers. Its success irritated the colonists to the extent that they took legal action against Houphouët.fr cite news|url=http://www.dialprod.com/memoire/parcours.html|title=Spécial Houphouet|work=Fraternité Matin|accessdate=2008-07-22] However, the SAA increased his popularity as the voice of the Africans.When elected to the "assemblée constituante" on
4 November 1945 , Houphouët-Boigny worked to implement the wishes of the SAA. He proposed a bill to abolish forced labour, the single most unpopular feature of French rule, on1 March 1946 which the Assembly adopted in 1947.fr cite web |last= |first= |title=Biographies des députés de la IV République: Félix Houphouët-Boigny |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/biographies/IVRepublique/houphouet-boigny-felix-18101905.asp |publisher=National Assembly of France |date= |accessdate=2008-07-17 ] On9 April 1946 , [Toubabou, p. 60.] Houphouët-Boigny, with the help of the "Groupes d'études communistes d'Abidjan", recreated the SAA as theDemocratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI),fr cite book|last=Amin|first=Samir|coauthors=Bernard Nantet|chapter=Côte-d’Ivoire|title=Encyclopædia Universalis |publisher=Encyclopædia Universalis|location=Paris|date=1999|isbn=|oclc=] the first effective party in Côte d'Ivoirecite web |url=http://www.bookrags.com/biography/felix-houphouet-boigny/ |title=Felix Houphouët-Boigny |accessdate=2008-07-25 |work=Encyclopedia of World Biography |publisher=Thomson Gale|date= ] and the Ivorian section of theAfrican Democratic Rally .Notes
References
*cite book|last=Ellenbogen|first=Alice|title=La succession d'Houphouët-Boigny: entre tribalisme et démocratie|publisher=Harmattan|location=Paris|date=2002|isbn=2747529509|oclc=62407712
*cite book|last=Toubabou|first=Le|title=Le millefeuille ivoirien: un héritage de contraintes|publisher=Harmattan|location=Paris|date=2005|isbn=2747593576|oclc=62895346
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