People's Socialist Union

The People's Socialist Union (in French: "Union Socialiste du Peuple") is an Ivorian political party based in London.

History

USP was founded in 1996. The general secretary of USP is Henri Tohou who, on 19 February 1990 initiated and led with few students of the Yopougon University Campus (Abidjan), the first significant Ivorian students' uprising against President's Houphouet Boigny' regime, one of the most brutal French-sponsored dictartorships of Africa. Along with other students, they targeted the MEECI, former national students movement from which the ruling party drew its young supporters,which was later replaced by FESCI-Federation of students and school pupils, founded in April 1990 under the leadership of Henri Tohou, Martial Ahipeaud, Azowa Beugre Amos, and Ahononga Gregoire. Following continuous unrest initiated by students of the Yopougon Campus where Tohou was living and brutal repressions from the military, specially the elite military force of the Ivory Coast, the rapid intervention force of para-commandos led by the then-Commander Faizan,
Bi Sehi, Tohou, and hundreds of students fled the university campus and sought sanctuary in the cathedral Saint Paul of Plateaux-administrative center of Abidjan. They were surrounded by troops and after hours of negotiations, force was used by the military and students were taken to various military barracks where they were subjected to torture and other inhuman and degrading treatments. However Tohou and two other escaped from the cathedral St Paul and went back to their University Campus from where, with the support of dozens of students, they went from secondary to primary schools to seek pupils' support in an attempt to transform their action into a national uprising. By midday, The city of Abidjan was full of smoke. Pupils' burning cars tires and chanting for the first time, "Houphouet Voleur". Tohou and few students moved to other cities of the country and the armed forces lost control of the situation. For the first time, the leader, Houphouet Boigny, of the 30 year-old dictatorship declared that the country could accept any kind of change provided that it was done in peace and order. Opposition parties created on papers but not allowed to operate openly used that opportunity to submit their application to the ministry of interior to have their party recognised as opposition parties. The country returned to multipartyism after 30 years of single party with a single radio station, TV station, and state newspaper.Henri Tohou became the national organization secretary of FESCI (Students movement) and became later Deputy Secretary of Finance as he also had other national responsibilities as National President of Youth of the Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI) which later became the PPS (Party for Progress and Socialism) and also a freelance journalist for the "Cote d'Ivoire Nouvelle".

Present state of affairs

Since May 1996, Tohou and others have created a new political party (USP) which they also call "The People's Socialist Party". The party has been campaigning about the risk of a civil war in the Ivory Coast, but few Western countries paid attention to their warning. When the civil war started in Ivory Coast, The USP has campaigned against the policy of a full scale war supported by the government and they proposed a political and peaceful settlement. Henri Tohou is in exile in London since 1994 and is currently working hard with members of USP worldwide to stand as the youngest candidate for the next presidential elections in Ivory Coast. The USP believes that the old politicians of Ivory Coast who brought war to their country must be replaced by a new generation of politicians not involved in the atrocities suffered by the Ivorian people. Tohou may probably have a positive impact on the Ivorian people by trying to reunite Ivorian youth, some in various government sponsored militias and other within the rebel forces, particularly as most of them were members of the students movement Fesci founded by Tohou and others. It may be possible that the Ivorian youth and ordinary people reject the old leaders who divided them and created war in the country by voting a young man who was at the forefront of Ivorian multypartyism and who has been fighting peacefully for years from abroad for a new Ivorian society. The major difficulty the USP may be facing during the next election would probably be the lack of financial power in a war-torn country where people are now living in a state of serious poverty as a result of 3 years of civil war while the other old politicians standing for the elections include two former heads of state; one a former Prime Minister; all rich enough to use their financial power during those elections.