1. Alphonse Amadou Alley was a Beninese army officer and political figure.
31 Facts About Alphonse Alley
1. 2.
Alphonse Alley was most active when his country was known as Dahomey.
3.
Alphonse Alley was born in Bassila, central Dahomey, and enrolled in schools in Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, and Senegal before enlisting in the French army in 1950.
4.
Alphonse Alley saw combat in Indochina from 1950 to 1953, in Morocco from 1955 to 1956, and in Algeria from 1959 to 1961.
5.
Alphonse Alley's administration oversaw the creation of a new constitution and a presidential election, Dahomey's first since 1964.
6.
Alphonse Alley lost popularity with the suggestion that the military should retreat back to the barracks, and was eventually reduced to a mouthpiece for Kouandete.
7.
On July 17,1968, Alphonse Alley was forced to hand power to Emile Zinsou, a veteran politician.
8.
Alphonse Alley's retirement was marked by a series of discharges from the military, trials, and prison sentences.
9.
Alphonse Alley ended Alley's military career, as well as that of every other senior officer, and named Alley commissioner of the National Oil Wells, a role with very little responsibility.
10.
Kerekou accused Alphonse Alley of plotting against him on February 28,1973, and sentenced the latter to 20 years in prison.
11.
Alphonse Alley was born on April 9,1930, in Bassila, central Dahomey.
12.
Alphonse Alley was a member of the small Widji ethnic group, based in the north.
13.
Alphonse Alley's father was a military commander, who served the French in Syria during 1942 and helped train police in Togo.
14.
Alphonse Alley enrolled in schools in Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, and Senegal until he enlisted in the French army in 1950.
15.
Alphonse Alley withdrew in late 1953, shortly before Operation Castor was launched at Dien Bien Phu.
16.
Alphonse Alley saw combat in Morocco from 1955 to 1956 and in Algeria from 1959 to 1961, where he became a paratrooper.
17.
In Dahomeyan coups in 1963 and 1965, Alphonse Alley urged General Christophe Soglo to seize power.
18.
Alphonse Alley made known his disagreements with Soglo on several occasions, though he remained loyal nonetheless.
19.
Alphonse Alley was one of the few figures who were trusted by northern and southern Dahomeyans alike.
20.
Alphonse Alley's role was only temporary, until power was to be ceded back to civilians in six months time.
21.
The Supreme Court ruled the proscription was unconstitutional, although Alphonse Alley overruled the decision.
22.
Moumouni won the election with 80 percent of the vote, but Alphonse Alley declared the result void because the protest prevented nearly three-quarters of the electorate from voting.
23.
Alphonse Alley felt he had made a mistake in disqualifying Maga, Apithy, and Ahomadegbe-Tometin, as he believed that only they could bring unity to Dahomey.
24.
Alphonse Alley noted that his administration would require extra time to find a successor who was backed by everyone.
25.
Alphonse Alley suggested that the military should retreat back to the barracks at Camp Ghezo and leave Dahomeyan politics to the career politicians.
26.
Alphonse Alley attempted to remove Kouandete from the army, though to no avail.
27.
On July 11,1969, Kouandete accused Alphonse Alley of plotting to kidnap and murder him.
28.
In 1971, Alphonse Alley allowed Togolese refugee Noe Kutuklui protection in Dahomey, despite official government policy to the contrary.
29.
Alphonse Alley ended Alley's military career, as well as that of every other senior officer, and named him commissioner of the National Oil Wells, a role with very little responsibility.
30.
Kerekou accused Alphonse Alley of plotting against him on February 28,1973, and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.
31.
Alphonse Alley was released on amnesty on August 1,1984, as well as all other political detainees besides those involved in the "ignoble and barbarous imperialist armed aggression of Sunday, January 16,1967," as the official press release states.