Answer
Democratization marked the 1990s for Mathieu Kérékou, the president of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and then from 1996 to 2006. Kérékou embraced democratic reforms and introduced multi-party elections, transitioning Benin from a military regime to a multi-party democracy. This historic shift laid the foundation for Benin's current democratic system and solidified its reputation as a beacon of democracy in West Africa.