Jean Konan Banny

Infobox Politician
name = Jean Konan Banny


caption =
order =Defence Minister of Côte d'Ivoire
term_start =1960
term_end =September 1963
predecessor ="None (position first established)"
successor =Kouadio M'Bahia Blé
birth_date = May 11, 1930
birth_place = flag|Côte d'Ivoire
death_date =
death_place =
party = Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire
known_for =
occupation = Lawyer, minister
nationality = Ivorian

Jean Konan Banny (born May 11, 1930cite news|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN11056jeankynnabn0 |title=Jean Konan Banny|last=Kpatindé|first=Francis|date=1999-05-11|work=Jeune Afrique|accessdate=2008-07-31] ) is an Ivorian politician of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI). He is the brother of Charles Konan Banny, a former Prime Minister of Cote d'Ivoire.cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200512060328.html|title=Time to End Shenanigans|date=2005-12-06|work=AllAfrica|accessdate=2008-08-05]

A lawyer, Banny served as Minister of Defence of Cote d'Ivoire from its independence in 1960 to 1963. In 1963, he was arrested on charges in participating in President Félix Houphouët-Boigny's "complot du chat noir" (black cat conspiracy), tried, and sentenced to death. His office, meanwhile, was transferred to Kouadio M'Bahia Blé, whose ministership lasted more than 17 years.cite web|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-7023.html |title=Ivory Coast: Constitutional, Legal, and Administrative Structure|work=Library of Congress Country Studies|accessdate=2008-08-05] There was discontent in the army, as the generals stirred following his arrest, and Houphouët-Boigny had to intervene personally to sedate the army. [Le Vine, p. 211.]

Banny, who personally knew Houphouët-Boigny from childhood, was pardoned and released in 1967. He asked Banny to be the mayor of Yamoussoukro, though Houphouët-Boigny's successor, Henri Konan Bédié, appointed Banny as Resident Minister of the capital. The Resident Minister is a member of the Council of Elders of the PDCI, which includes roughly a hundred elders.

He also directs the "Société fruitière du Bandama", an industrial company which produces and exports fruit juice, mainly that of pineapples. The company created the popular drink Cristelor in 1983.cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE3DC1039F93BA25750C0A962948260&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=3|title=Pineapple Bubbly |last=May|first=Clifford D.|date=1984-03-18|work=New York Times|accessdate=2008-08-05] Described as as a "delice d'ananas petillant," French for sparkling pineapple delight, it is popularly called pineapple champagne. Banny claimed the idea "came to [him when he thought] to make a wine from pineapples" and was named after his granddaughter, Cristel. He also proposed an alcoholic version of the drink.

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