The Foreign Service Journal, May 2004

pay salaries or scholarships for months, and they were all angry. By June, almost the entire nation was on strike. There were daily street demonstrations; the country was near economic collapse. After a particularly ugly December demon- stration in which five strikers were killed, Kerékou surprised the nation by apologizing for the violence and declaring that the Marxist ideology that had governed the state would be abandoned. (It is worth noting that this occurred about a month after the Berlin Wall fell.) He also announced that he would permit the formation of opposition parties. Kerékou called for a “national reconciliation conference” to sort out Benin’s problems, and appointed an independent committee to organize it. The conference opened on Feb. 19, 1990, with 520 del- egates representing a cross-section of Benin that included businessmen, women leaders, students, union members, military personnel and politicians. Among the participants were some of Kerékou’s most vehement oppo- nents, so the debating was fierce, with Kerékou actually present dur- ing much of it. Though opposed to the conference, the military also par- ticipated. One of the generals threatened during a heated argu- ment to stage a coup himself. For the first six days of the nine- day conference, participants ducked a crucial issue that had come up often as the conference was being organized: whether the conference would lead to the formation of a new Benin government. However, the debate over whether the conference had the “sovereignty” to shape a future government was unavoidable. And just as suddenly as the strikes that had led to the gathering in the first place occurred (and also while Kerékou was absent), the confer- ence decided that it did have sovereignty. Conference participants elected a transitional govern- F O C U S M A Y 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 37 Africa today is filled with small experiments in locally controlled economic development. This is a breakthrough. Interim Accommodations for Corporate and Government Markets Apartments, Townhouses & Single Family Homes “FOR THE EXECUTIVE ON THE MOVE” finder5@IX.netcom.com Locations throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Units fully furnished, equipped and accessorized Many “Walk to Metro” locations Pet Friendly 5105-L Backlick Road, Annandale, Virginia Tel: (703) 354-4070 Fax: (703) 642-3619 Executive Lodging Alternatives You know that intimate, boutique all-suite hotel that everyone wants to find? The one that has cutting-edge style and service, but is still reasonably priced? You just found it! • Located minutes from State Department Headquarters • Government per diem accepted all year • Newly Renovated suites with full kitchens • Visit our new restaurant “Dish” For more information please visit www.theriverinn.com or call (202) 337-7600. L OTS OF S TYLE , N OT A LOT OF P R I CE 9 2 4 2 5 T H S T R E E T , NW W A S H I N G T O N , DC 2 0 0 3 7