▁British ▁colonial ▁administr ations ▁adopted ▁divide - and - rule ▁policies ▁elsewhere , ▁applying ▁ideas ▁of ▁assim ilation ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁educated ▁el ite , ▁the ▁French ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁ens uring ▁that ▁the ▁small ▁but ▁influ ential ▁el ite ▁was ▁sufficiently ▁satisfied ▁with ▁the ▁status ▁qu o ▁to ▁ref rain ▁from ▁anti - F rench ▁sentiment . ▁Although ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁practices ▁of ▁association , ▁educated ▁I vo iri ans ▁believed ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁achieve ▁equality ▁with ▁their ▁French ▁pe ers ▁through ▁assim ilation ▁rather ▁than ▁through ▁complete ▁independence ▁from ▁France . ▁After ▁the ▁assim ilation ▁doctrine ▁was ▁implemented ▁through ▁the ▁post war ▁re forms , ▁though , ▁I vo i rian ▁leaders ▁realized ▁that ▁even ▁assim ilation ▁imp lied ▁the ▁superior ity ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁over ▁the ▁I vo iri ans . ▁Some ▁of ▁them ▁thought ▁that ▁disc rim ination ▁and ▁political ▁inequality ▁would ▁end ▁only ▁with ▁independence ; ▁others ▁thought ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁the ▁division ▁between ▁the ▁trib al ▁culture ▁and ▁modern ity ▁would ▁continue . ▁ ▁Independ ence ▁ ▁F éli x ▁Hou ph ou ë t - Bo igny , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁Ba oul é ▁chief , ▁became ▁I v ory ▁Coast ' s ▁father ▁of ▁independence . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁he ▁formed ▁the ▁country ' s ▁first ▁agricult ural ▁trade ▁union ▁for ▁African ▁c ocoa ▁far mers ▁like ▁himself . ▁An ger ed ▁that ▁colonial ▁policy ▁fav oured ▁French ▁plant ation ▁own ers , ▁the ▁union ▁members ▁un ited ▁to