top of page

Paul-Émile de Souza

Paul-Émile de Souza served as the Minister of National Defense in the government of President Hubert Maga. After a series of political upheavals, he was appointed as the head of the Presidential Council in 1970, a position he held until the coup led by Mathieu Kérékou in 1972.

ZODIAC ELEMENTS

Ascendant:

Sun-Sign:

Moon-Sign:

PAUL-EMILE DE SOUZA

Paul-Émile de Souza was born on July 14, 1930, into the aristocratic De Souza family in Athiémè, Dahomey. He was married to Françoise De Souza. His military career began in the mid-1960s when he was appointed vice president of the Comité de Rénovation Nationale in 1966, an advisory group with limited functions to support President Christophe Soglo. However, the committee was disbanded on April 6, 1967, following Soglo's overthrow later that year. De Souza then became the Director of Military Affairs under Emile Derlin Zinsou, although he preferred to stay out of politics and focused on leading the parachutist unit at Ouidah.

On December 10, 1969, Zinsou was deposed by Maurice Kouandété, who, despite his coup, was not recognized by the military. In the aftermath of the coup, de Souza was briefly placed under house arrest. Due to ongoing conflicts between military factions, a Military Directorate was formed with de Souza as its chairman, alongside Kouandété and Colonel Benoit Sinzogan of the Gendarmerie. An election held on March 28, 1970, aimed to establish a legitimate president but was marred by violence and controversy. Following the elections, de Souza annulled the results from the Atakora region, where former president Hubert Maga received the most votes. This led to tensions among the former presidents, who eventually reached a compromise to form a presidential council that would rotate leadership every two years.

After this tumultuous period, de Souza resumed his role as Chief of Staff of the Dahomeyan Army. On February 23, 1972, Kouandété attempted another coup, leading an attack on government buildings in an effort to eliminate de Souza. During the confrontation, de Souza managed to fend off the attackers, resulting in the death of an assailant. However, Kouandété faced severe consequences for his actions, receiving the death penalty for his role in the coup attempt.

Following the rise of Mathieu Kérékou to power in October 1972, de Souza was dismissed from the army and transitioned into civilian life, taking on the role of commissioner at the national Agricultural Credit Bank (SOCAD). Paul-Émile de Souza passed away on June 17, 1999, at the age of 68. His wife, Françoise De Souza, who served as the First Lady of Dahomey, died on July 30, 2015.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul-%C3%89mile_de_Souza

GOVERNING TIME LINE

Paul-Émile de Souza assumed power as the Chairman of the Military Council of Dahomey (now Benin) on December 10, 1969, after a military coup led by Maurice Kouandété that deposed Émile Derlin Zinsou. He governed during a transitional period marked by political instability, aiming to restore order. His leadership ended on May 7, 1970, when the Presidential Council was established to share power among key political leaders

bottom of page