Innocent Anaky
Encyclopedia
Innocent Kobena Anaky is an Ivorian
politician and the President of the Movement of the Forces of the Future (MFA), an opposition party. He served in the government of Côte d'Ivoire as Minister of State for Transport from 2003 to 2006.
and was an adopted son of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
. He founded the Inter Transit company in the late 1970s and headed the company as its President Director-General. In November 1988, he participated in the constitutive congress of the opposition Ivorian Popular Front
(FPI). Anaky used money from his business to finance the FPI. Houphouët-Boigny loaned Anaky 100 million CFA francs for the company, but Anaky allegedly used some of that money to support the FPI. As a result of his political activities, Anaky was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released in 1991.
In December 1992, Anaky established his own political party, the Movement of the Forces of the Future. Following the December 1999 coup d'etat, he was arrested. In the December 2000–January 2001 parliamentary election, he was elected to the National Assembly
as an MFA candidate in Kouassi-Datékro
constituency; he was the only MFA candidate to win a seat. Following a political agreement in 2003, he was appointed to the government as Minister of State for Transport. He headed a delegation to Ouagadougou
, Burkina Faso
, in May 2003 to engage in talks regarding trade routes through Côte d'Ivoire that had been closed to Burkina Faso due to the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War in 2002.
In the midst of a scandal regarding the dumping of toxic waste, he was attacked and beaten by angry residents of Abidjan
, who also damaged his car, in mid-September 2006; he was saved by security forces. He was excluded from the government in a cabinet reshuffle at the time of the scandal. Anaky placed blame for the dumping of the toxic waste on port and district authorities.
In early 2009, Anaky said that he did not believe the planned and long-delayed presidential election would actually be held in 2009. In a state television broadcast on 18 March 2009, Anaky called for the people to overthrow President Laurent Gbagbo
, in emulation of the successful ouster of Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana
; Anaky was subsequently arrested by the Direction of Territorial Surveillance on 20 March. He was questioned and released on 21 March, and on 23 March he announced that the MFA was withdrawing from the coalition government, in which the party had held one portfolio.
Following a stampede at a football
match in Abidjan on 29 March 2009, in which 29 people were killed, Anaky blamed youth leader Charles Blé Goudé
and the ruling FPI for the incident.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
politician and the President of the Movement of the Forces of the Future (MFA), an opposition party. He served in the government of Côte d'Ivoire as Minister of State for Transport from 2003 to 2006.
Biography
Anaky was born in BondoukouBondoukou
Bondoukou is a town in Bondoukou Department of Côte d'Ivoire, located in the Zanzan Region, 420 km Northeast of Abidjan...
and was an adopted son of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
. He founded the Inter Transit company in the late 1970s and headed the company as its President Director-General. In November 1988, he participated in the constitutive congress of the opposition Ivorian Popular Front
Ivorian Popular Front
The Ivorian Popular Front , known by its French initials FPI, is a centre-left, democratic socialist and social democratic, political party in Côte d'Ivoire....
(FPI). Anaky used money from his business to finance the FPI. Houphouët-Boigny loaned Anaky 100 million CFA francs for the company, but Anaky allegedly used some of that money to support the FPI. As a result of his political activities, Anaky was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released in 1991.
In December 1992, Anaky established his own political party, the Movement of the Forces of the Future. Following the December 1999 coup d'etat, he was arrested. In the December 2000–January 2001 parliamentary election, he was elected to the National Assembly
National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
The National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire is Côte d'Ivoire's unicameral legislative body. Evolved from semi-representative bodies of the French Colonial period, the first National Assembly was constituted on 27 November 1960 with 70 elected member in accordance with the Constitution of 31 October...
as an MFA candidate in Kouassi-Datékro
Kouassi-Datèkro
Kouassi-Datèkro is a town and commune in Côte d'Ivoire.-References:*This article was initially created from the French Wikipedia....
constituency; he was the only MFA candidate to win a seat. Following a political agreement in 2003, he was appointed to the government as Minister of State for Transport. He headed a delegation to Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, in May 2003 to engage in talks regarding trade routes through Côte d'Ivoire that had been closed to Burkina Faso due to the outbreak of the Ivorian Civil War in 2002.
In the midst of a scandal regarding the dumping of toxic waste, he was attacked and beaten by angry residents of Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, who also damaged his car, in mid-September 2006; he was saved by security forces. He was excluded from the government in a cabinet reshuffle at the time of the scandal. Anaky placed blame for the dumping of the toxic waste on port and district authorities.
In early 2009, Anaky said that he did not believe the planned and long-delayed presidential election would actually be held in 2009. In a state television broadcast on 18 March 2009, Anaky called for the people to overthrow President Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo served as the fourth President of Côte d'Ivoire from 2000 until his arrest in April 2011. A historian by profession, he is also an amateur chemist and physicist....
, in emulation of the successful ouster of Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana
Marc Ravalomanana is a Malagasy politician who was the President of Madagascar from 2002 to 2009. A member of the Merina ethnic group, Ravalomanana served as Mayor of Antananarivo before becoming President in 2002...
; Anaky was subsequently arrested by the Direction of Territorial Surveillance on 20 March. He was questioned and released on 21 March, and on 23 March he announced that the MFA was withdrawing from the coalition government, in which the party had held one portfolio.
Following a stampede at a football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
match in Abidjan on 29 March 2009, in which 29 people were killed, Anaky blamed youth leader Charles Blé Goudé
Charles Blé Goudé
Charles Blé Goudé is an Ivorian political leader, born at Guibéroua, in the center west of the country.-Creator of the Young Patriots:...
and the ruling FPI for the incident.