Soumane Touré

Soumane Touré (14 March 1948 – 25 March 2021) be a Burkinabé politician den trade unionist. He be a prominent student activist during ein youth den join de communist African Independence Party (PAI). He serve as de general secretary of de Burkinabé Trade Union Confederation (CSB) for many years den be a prominent leader of de Patriotic League for Development (LIPAD) mass movement. Dem arrest on several occasions by different governments den even sentence to death insyd 1987, only escaping execution through an intervention by then president Thomas Sankara. He be elected to de National Assembly insyd 2002 den ran for president insyd 2005.

 Early life den education 
Dem born Touré on 14 March 1948 insyd Diébougou (Bougouriba Province, then insyd French Upper Volta). He attend high school at Lycée moderne insyd Bobo-Dioulasso, where he lead a student protest movement against poor school management, poor living conditions den shortages of food for students.

After completing ein high school studies, he move to Dakar to attend university. Na he be active insyd de student movement there, particularly the Voltaic Scholarly Association (ASV). Insyd Dakar he dey join de African Independence Party (PAI). Touré recruited Valère Somé, who hail from de same village, into PAI insyd Dakar. 

After he obtain a law degree from de University of Dakar, Touré moved to France where he will specialize insyd insurance studies, becoming one of de first Voltan insurance specialists. He take part insyd de organization of de General Union of Voltan Students [fr] (UGEV) congress insyd Ouagadougou insyd 1971, at which he served as a rapporteur.

 Return to Upper Volta 
He return home to Upper Volta. Touré become a career insurance employee. He begin to work as a technical inspector at de Societe National d'Assurance et de Reassurance (SONAR) insyd 1974. On a number of occasions he be offered de post as director-general of SONAR, but Touré declined to remain active insyd trade union leadership. Touré took part insyd de founding of de Voltan Trade Union Confederation (CSV, later de Burkinabe Trade Union Confederation – CSB). Touré frequently meet with the young military officer Thomas Sankara, who was emerging as a leading figure among radical military officers. African studies researcher Ernest Harsch writes that Touré was a childhood friend of Sankara, while his contemporary Brian J. Peterson writes dat de contact between Sankara den Touré was mediated via Blaise Compaoré, who had befriended Touré insyd Yaoundé.

PAI leader Amirou Thiombiano unexpectedly die insyd 1975. Adama Touré, who had kinship relations plus Soumane Touré, took over de party leadership den inducted Soumane Touré insyd de PAI Executive Committee.

 Mass leader 
Touré emerged as a prominent mass movement leader, den dey note for being a powerful orator at rallies den meetings. He serve as de general secretary of de Trade Union Federation of Banks, Insurance, Commerce den Industry (FESBACI). He become de general secretary of de CSV insyd 1976. Na Touré be a prominent figure insyd de Patriotic League for Development (LIPAD) protest movement during de 1978–1980 period. He was frequently arrested den often had to operate underground to avoid arrest. Touré be de chairman of de Ouagadougou section of LIPAD.

Insyd December 1981, de CSV called a general strike against de "fascist military dictatorship" den Touré demonstratively resigned from de commission appointed by de CMPRN military junta to investigate the assets of officials. Insyd response, de CMPRN military junta declare de CSV dissolve den order de arrest of Touré, who consequently went into hiding. Touré be eventually arrested during de night of 9–10 August 1982, insyd Léo. De trade union movement protested against his arrest. After de 7 November 1982, coup, de Popular Salvation Council (CSP) military junta released Touré from jail den legalized de CSV.

Touré dey organize student protests following de May 1983 detention of Sankara. Touré be subsequently arrested den jailed on 21 May 1983. Touré was thus in jail during the 4 August 1983 revolution. Dem release him from jail after Sankara dey take power.

 Revolutionary period 
Following de victory of the 4 August 1983 revolution, LIPAS presented Touré as a candidate to serve as de general secretary of de Committees for de Defense of de Revolution (CDR), but de young captain Pierre Ouédraogo was chosen instead. Insyd May 1984, as relations between LIPAD den de governing National Revolutionary Council (CNR) junta broke down, Touré was dismissed from public service.

Dem arrestTouré again insyd January 1985. On 10 January 1985, a Popular Revolutionary Tribunal dey clear him of charges of being involved insyd a 298 million-CFA franc national social security fraud scheme. However, he be immediately sent back to jail on a defamation charge brought against him by de CNR, regarding statements made by him during ein trial where he had accused de incumbent military junta of embezzling "billions" of CFA francs as compared plus de "millions" stolen by previous governments. De CNR released Touré from jail on 2 October 1986.

Insyd May 1987, na Touré be jailed once more. On 26 May 1987, Touré dey make statements condemning repression of de trade union movement den rejected government interference insyd de unions. On 30 May 1987, de CDR of Ouagadougou dey arrest Touré, wey they accuse him of joining forces plus counter-revolutionary elements. An extraordinary CDR session hold 31 May – 1 June 1987, find him guilty den sentenced him to death. Compaoré convened de CNR Politburo den called for de arrest of oda PAI leaders. De CDR raided trade union offices den arrest union leaders across de country. Sankara called a meeting of de CNR Central Committee, at which de Reolutionary Military Organization (OMR), de Union of Burkinabè Communists (UCB) den de Burkinabé Communist Group (GCB) spoke insyd favour of Touré's death penalty, while Sankara and the Union of Communist Struggles – Reconstructed (ULCR) opposed de measure. While Touré ein verdict be not overturned, ein execution was halted through the intervention of Sankara. According to de contemporary Burkinabé politician Valère Somé, many UCB leaders den several captains, such as GCB leader Jean-Pierre Palm [de], actively dey push for Touré ein execution at de meeting.

 Compaoré years 
Touré dey later involve insyd de Popular Front, after de October 1987 coup which overthrow Sankara. Dem arrest Touré again insyd September 1989, after de CSB dey protest against Popular Front interference insyd de trade union movement. Touré  a leading figure insyd de 1991 Alliance for de Respect den Defense of de Constitution (ARDC), a pro-government alliance of 27 parties.

Touré go into early retirement from ein role at SONAR insyd 2000.

Insyd 1999 PAI split insyd two, plus Touré leading one of the two PAI parties den Philippe Ouédraogo dey lead de oda PAI party. A lengthy dispute between Touré den Ouédraogo over de right to de party name "PAI" ensued. Touré ein PAI win five seats insyd de 2002 National Assembly election. Touré einself be one of de elected parliamentarians, den he will become a member of Committee on Finance den Budget of de National Assembly. De elected PAI deputies sit insyd de parliamentary group of de Convention of Republican Forces, which dey dominate by de governing Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP).

Insyd September 2005, Touré declare ein candidacy for de 2005 Burkinabé presidential election. At dis point PAI ein alliance plus de CDP be broken den de two PAI ministers dey leave de government. Ouédraogo lodged a complaint to de Constitutional Council over Touré ein candidature, arguing dat Touré ein party had not been properly recognized. Touré, standing as de PAI candidate, dey obtain 23,266 votes (1.13%).

Touré ein PAI lost ein registration insyd June 2011, as a result of de protracted administrative-political dispute over de right to de PAI party name after de 1999 split. Touré dey find de Party of Independence, Labour and Justice (PITJ) insyd July 2011, den serve as general secretary of de party.

 Ein Death 
Touré die at a private clinic insyd central Ouagadougou on 25 March 2021. Paying condolences, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré stated dat Touré be "a patriot whose commitment den union den political struggle be insyd de service of ein country den de Burkinabè people". De Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré stated dat "[a] library of our country ein political history has been closed forever! ... Mr. Soumane Touré be a great fighter who was fully involved insyd politics den trade unionism for several decades, thus contributing to de construction den building of Burkinabe democracy." Opposition leader Eddie Komboïgo, chairman of the CDP, also paid tribute to Touré. Touré ein body be taken from de morgue at de Sector 30 Hospital to ein family home insyd Wemtenga, Ouagadougou, on 27 March 2021. Dem burry insyd Diébougou on 28 March 2021.

 References 

 External links 

 Surface de vérité avec Soumane Touré (2017)-BF1TV
 Surface de vérité avec Soumane Touré (2013)-BF1TV
 BITV : grand déballage avec Soumane Touré
 Funeral of Soumane Touré in Diébougou

Category:1948 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:Human
Category:African Independence Party (Burkina Faso) politicians
Category:Burkinabe trade unionists
Category:Members of de National Assembly of Burkina Faso
Category:People wey komot Sud-Ouest Region (Burkina Faso)
Category:Cheikh Anta Diop University alumni
Category:Burkinabe people