▁rec ruit ▁migr ant ▁workers ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁far ms . ▁Hou ph ou ë t - Bo igny ▁soon ▁rose ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁and ▁within ▁a ▁year ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁Parliament ▁in ▁Paris . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁the ▁French ▁abol ished ▁forced ▁labour . ▁Hou ph ou ë t - Bo igny ▁established ▁a ▁strong ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁government , ▁express ing ▁a ▁belief ▁that ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁would ▁benefit ▁from ▁the ▁relationship , ▁which ▁it ▁did ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁France ▁appointed ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁minister , ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁minister ▁in ▁a ▁European ▁government . ▁ ▁A ▁turning ▁point ▁in ▁relations ▁with ▁France ▁was ▁reached ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁O verse as ▁Reform ▁Act ▁( Lo i ▁C adre ), ▁which ▁transferred ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁powers ▁from ▁Paris ▁to ▁elected ▁territorial ▁govern ments ▁in ▁French ▁West ▁Africa ▁and ▁also ▁removed ▁the ▁remaining ▁voting ▁in equ ities . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁became ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Community , ▁which ▁had ▁replaced ▁the ▁French ▁Union . ▁ ▁At ▁independence ▁( 1 9 6 0 ), ▁the ▁country ▁was ▁easily ▁French ▁West ▁Africa ' s ▁most ▁prosper ous , ▁contrib uting ▁over ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁region ' s ▁total ▁exports . ▁When ▁Hou ph ou ë t - Bo igny ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁president , ▁his ▁government ▁gave ▁far mers ▁good ▁prices ▁for ▁their ▁products ▁to ▁further