Name Arouna Mama | Role Politician | |
Arouna Mama (1925–1974) was a Beninese politician, most active when his country was known as Dahomey.
Mama was born in 1925 in Parakou to an influential family. He was elected to the Assemblee Territoriale in 1957 and became its president two years later. In 1959, he was elected a senator in the Communaute Francais. In May 1969, Mama was appointed minister of the interior by president Hubert Maga, who he supported as member of the Dahomey Democratic Rally. He was part of a conservative group during Maga's initial term as president that included his political rival, Chabi Mama.
In 1962, Maga named Arouna Mama as the minister of the interior and defense. Mama held this position until a coup toppled Maga in 1963. The following year, Mama started riots in support of returning Maga to the presidency in Parakou, where his support was strongest. This led to him being imprisoned by Christophe Soglo, the acting president at the time. Mama was also accused of embezzlement. He was an educational inspector until a presidential council was established in 1970 under Maga's leadership, in which he was again named minister of the interior and defense. With another coup in 1972, he lost his position as minister and was found guilty of embezzlement. On 31 December 1973, Mama returned 6.6 million CFA francs and was released from prison. He died in 1974.