From 'Camarade' to 'Monsieur': Structural Adjustment and Democratization in Benin

Kohnert, Dirk and Preuss, Hans-Joachim (1992): From 'Camarade' to 'Monsieur': Structural Adjustment and Democratization in Benin. Published in: Peripherie 46 (1992): pp. 47-70.

Abstract

The process of political and economic liberalisation in Benin is regarded as a model for the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa. Benin made history by becoming the first African country to overthrow a military dictator by democratic means. The civilian coup d'état cleared the way for economic recovery, too. The strengthening of democratic institutions, and the good will of the new government of the former high ranking World Bank-employee Soglo, to follow the recommendations of the structural adjustment program have been honoured by the donors' generosity. The recovery of the economy, however, was hampered by the underlying fabric of the socio-cultural structure of clientelism and patronage, which resulted in a situation in which the on-going structural adjustment program mainly served the vested interests of the state class and rival strategic groups, bargaining for the booty of increasing development assistance. Thus, socio-economic conditions for a self-sustaining development process and, consequently, increased development assistance are not yet met. Nevertheless, areas of co-operation do exist in the fields of liberty of press and opinion, basic needs and self-help organizations.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Institution: GIGA - German Institute of Global and Area Studies / Institute of African Affairs
• Language: German
• Keywords: Transition; structural adjustment; democratization; Bénin; frankophone Africa
• Subjects: P - Economic Systems > P3 - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions > P31 - Socialist Enterprises and Their Transitions; P - Economic Systems > P3 - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions > P37 - Legal Institutions; Illegal Behavior; P - Economic Systems > P3 - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions > P32 - Collectives; Communes; Agriculture; P - Economic Systems > P2 - Socialist Systems and Transitional Economies; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; P - Economic Systems > P5 - Comparative Economic Systems > P52 - Comparative Studies of Particular Economies; P - Economic Systems > P3 - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions > P33 - International Trade, Finance, Investment, and Aid; R - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics > R5 - Regional Government Analysis > R58 - Regional Development Policy; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology > Z13 - Social Norms and Social Capital; Social Networks
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