Ahmed Sékou Touré

**Ahmed Sékou Touré** (var. **Sheku Turay** anaa **Ture**; N'Ko: ; 9 January 1922 – 26 March 1984) na he be a Guinean political leader den African statesman wey na he be de first presido of Guinea from 1958 til ein death insyd 1984. Na Touré be among de primary Guinean nationalists wey be involved in gaining independence of de country from France. He later go die insyd de United States insyd 1984.

A devout Muslim wey komot de Mandinka ethnic group, na Sékou Touré be de great-grandson of de powerful Mandinka Muslim cleric Samori Ture wey na he establish an independent Islamic polity insyd part of West Africa. Insyd 1960, na he declare ein Democratic Party of Guinea (*Parti démocratique de Guinée*, PDG) de legal party per insyd de state, wey he rule from then on as a virtual dictator. Na dem re-elect am unopposed to four seven-year terms insyd de absence of any legal opposition. Under ein rule na dem kill chaw people, most notably at Camp Boiro.

## Kiddie time den family background

Na dem born Sékou Touré on 9 January 1922, into a Muslim family insyd Faranah, French Guinea, a colony of France. Faranah be a town deep insyd Guinea wey situate on de banks of de Niger River. Na he be one of seven kiddies dem born to Alpha Touré den Aminata Touré, wey dem be subsistence farmers. Na he be an aristocratic member of de Mandinka ethnic group. Na ein great-grandpoppie be Samori Ture (Samory Touré), a noted Muslim Mandinka king wey found de Wassoulou Empire (1861–1890) insyd de territory of Guinea den Mali, wey dey defeat chaw small African states plus ein large, professionally organized den equipped army. Na he resist French colonial rule til ein capture insyd 1898, wey he die while dem hold am in exile insyd Gabon.

Na ein poppie Alpha Touré be originally from de French Sudan (now Mali), wey na he migrate to de traditional gold mining town of Siguiri plus ein bros. Na he eventually continue to Kankan, Kouroussa, Kissidougou, den then he settle insyd Faranah. Na Aminata no be ein first wifey. Na she bear three babies, wey dey include Sékou den a bro wey die insyd childhood, wey na she die giving birth to a third kiddie, a girl dem name Nounkoumba. Na Sékou ein birth supposedly coincide plus an omen - na dem bring a baby elephant to Faranah wey na dem present am to de French colonial authorities.

Na Sékou Touré attend de École Coranique (Qur'anic school) insyd ein hometown den later a French lower-primary school insyd Kankan. Na he allegedly fail de exams to enter de École normale supérieure William Ponty secof he refuse make he wrep an essay critical of ein ancestor Samori Toure. Na he enrol insyd de Georges Poiret Technical College insyd Conakry insyd 1936 buh na dem expel am less dan a year later at de age of 15 for leading a student protest against de quality of chow wey na he quickly cam be involved insyd labor union activity. During ein youth, na Touré study de works of Karl Marx den Vladimir Lenin, among odas.

## Death
Na Touré die of an apparent heart attack on 26 March 1984 while na he dey undergo cardiac treatment insyd de United States, at de Cleveland Clinic insyd Cleveland, Ohio, for emergency heart surgery; na dem rush am to de United States after na e stricke am insyd Saudi Arabia de previous day. Touré ein tomb dey for de Camayanne Mausoleum, wey be situated within de gardens of de Grand Mosque of Conakry.

## Awards den honours

### Foreign awards den honours

## Works by Touré (partial)
* Ahmed Sékou Touré. *8 novembre 1964* (Conakry) : Parti démocratique de Guinée, (1965)
* *A propos du Sahara Occidental : intervention du président Ahmed Sékou Touré devant le 17<sup>e</sup> sommet de l'OUA, Freetown, le 3 juillet 1980*. (S.l. : s.n., 1980)
* Address of President Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of the Republic of Guinee [*sic*]: suggestions submitted during the West Africa consultative regional meeting held at Conakry, during 19 and 20 November 1971. (Cairo : Permanent Secretariat of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization, 1971)
* *Afrika and imperialism*. Newark, N.J. : Jihad Pub. Co., 1973.
* *Conférences, discours et rapports,* Conakry : Impr. du Gouvernement, (1958–)
* Congres général de l'U.G.T.A.N. (Union général des travailleurs de l'Afrique noire) : Conakry, 15–18 janvier 1959 : rapport d'orientation et de doctrine. (Paris) : Présence africaine, c1959.
* Discours de Monsieur Sékou Touré, Président du Conseil de Gouvernement des 28 juillet et 25 aout 1958, de Monsieur Diallo Saifoulaye, Président de l'Assemblée territoriale et du Général de Gaulle, Président du Gouvernement de la Républ (Conakry) : Guinée Française, (1958)
* Doctrine and methods of the Democratic Party of Guinea (Conakry 1963).
* Expérience guinéenne et unité africaine. Paris, Présence africaine (1959)

* *Guinée-Festival / commentaire et montage, Wolibo Dukuré dit Grand-pére*. Conakry : Commission Culturelle du Comité Central, 1983.
* *Guinée, prélude à l'indépendance (Avant-propos de Jacques Rabemananjara)* Paris, Présence africaine (1958)
* *Hommage à la révolution Cubaine ; Message du camarade Ahmed Sekou Toure au peuple Cubain à l'occasion du 20<sup>e</sup> anniversaire de l'attaque de la Caserne de Moncada (Juillet 1973)*. Conakry : Bureau de Presse de la Presidence de la Republique, (1975).
* Ahmed Sékou Touré. International policy and diplomatic action of the Democratic Party of Guinea; extracts from the report on doctrine and orientation submitted to the 3d National Conference of the P.D.G. (Cairo, Société Orientale de Publicité-Press, 1962)
* Ahmed Sékou Touré. Opening speech of the Summit of Heads of State and Government by President Ahmed Sékou Touré, chairman of the Summit (November 20, 1980). (S.l. : s.n., 1980)
* Ahmed Sékou Touré. Poèmes militants. (Conakry, Guinea) : Parti démocratique de Guinée, 1964
* Ahmed Sékou Touré. Political leader considered as the representative of a culture. (Newark, N. J. : Jihad Productions, 19--)
* Ahmed Sékou Touré. *Pour l'amitié algéro-guinéenne*. (Conakry, Guinea : Parti démocratique de Guinée, 1972)
* *Rapport de doctrine et de politique générale*, Conakry : Imprimerie Nationale, 1959.
* *Strategy and tactics of the revolution*, Conakry, Guinea : Press Office, 1978.
* *Unité nationale*, Conakry, République de Guinée (B.P. 1005, Conakry, République de Guinée) : Bureau de presse de la Présidence de la République, 1977.

## References

### Sources
* Henry Louis Gates, Anthony Appiah (eds). *Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African*, "Ahmed Sékou Touré," pp.&nbsp;1857–58. Basic Civitas Books (1999). 
* 
* Molefi K. Asante, Ama Mazama. *Encyclopedia of Black Studies*. Sage Publications (2005) 
* (insyd French) Ibrahima Baba Kake. *Sékou Touré. Le Héros et le Tyran*. Paris, 1987, JA Presses. Collection Jeune Afrique Livres. 254 p
* Lansiné Kaba. "From Colonialism to Autocracy: Guinea under Sékou Touré, 1957–1984;" in *Decolonization and African Independence, the Transfers of Power, 1960–1980*. Prosser Gifford and William Roger Louis (eds). New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988.
* Phineas Malinga. "Ahmed Sékou Touré: An African Tragedy" Archived 2018-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
* Baruch Hirson. "The Misdirection of C.L.R. James", *Communalism and Socialism in Africa,* 1989.
* John Leslie. Towards an African socialism, *International Socialism* (1st series), No.1, Spring 1960, pp.&nbsp;15–19.
* (insyd French) Alpha Mohamed Sow, "Conflits ethnique dans un État révolutionnaire (Le cas Guinéen)", in *Les ethnies ont une histoire,* Jean-Pierre Chrétien, Gérard Prunier (ed), pp.&nbsp;386–405, Karthala Editions (2003) 
* Parts of this article were translated from French Wikipedia's :fr:Ahmed Sékou Touré.

; News articles

* "New West Africa Union Sealed By Heads of Ghana and Guinea" By Thomas F. Brady, *The New York Times*. May 2, 1959, p.&nbsp;2
* Guinea Shuns Tie to World Blocs; But New State Gets Most Aid From East—Toure Departs for a Visit to the U. S. By John B. Oakes, *The New York Times,* October 25, 1959, p.&nbsp;16,
* Red Aid to Guinea Rises By Homer Bigart, *The New York Times*. March 6, 1960, p.&nbsp;4
* Henry Tanner. Regime in Guinea Seizes 2 Utilities; Toure Nationalizes Power and Water Supply Concerns—Pledges Compensation, *The New York Times*. February 2, 1961, Thursday, p.&nbsp;3
* Toure Says Reds Plotted a Coup; Links Communists to Riots by Students Last Month. (UPI), *The New York Times*. December 13, 1961, Wednesday, p.&nbsp;14
* Toure's Country--'Africa Incarnate'; Gui'nea embodies the emphatic nationalism and revolutionary hopes of ex-colonial Africa, but its energetic President confronts handicaps that are also typically African. Toure's Country--'Africa Incarnate' By David Halberstam, July 8, 1962, Sunday *The New York Times Magazine*, p.&nbsp;146
* Guinea Relaxes Business Curbs; Turns to Free Enterprise to Rescue Economy. (Reuters), *The New York Times*, December 8, 1963, Sunday p.&nbsp;24
* U.S. Peace Corps Ousted by Guinea; 72 Members and Dependents to Leave Within a Week By Richard Eder, *The New York Times*, November 9, 1966, Wednesday, p.&nbsp;11
* Guinea Is Warming West African Ties, *The New York Times*, January 26, 1968, Friday, p.&nbsp;52

* Alfred Friendly Jr. Toure Adopting a Moderate Tone; But West Africa Is Skeptical of Guinean's Words. *The New York Times*. April 28, 1968, Sunday, p.&nbsp;13
* Ebb of African 'Revolution', *The New York Times*, December 7, 1968, Saturday p.&nbsp;46
* Guinea's President Charges A Plot to Overthrow Him, (Agence France-Presse), *The New York Times*, January 16, 1969, Thursday p.&nbsp;10
* Guinea Reports 2 Members Of Cabinet Seized in Plot, (Reuters), *The New York Times*, March 22, 1969, Saturday p.&nbsp;14
* 12 Foes of Regime Doomed in Guinea, *The New York Times*, May 16, 1969, Friday p.&nbsp;2
* Guinea Reports Invasion From Sea by Portuguese; Lisbon Denies Charge U.N. Council Calls for End to Attack Guinea Reports an Invasion From Sea (Associated Press), *The New York Times*, November 23, 1970, Monday, p.&nbsp;1
* Guinea: Attack Strengthens Country's Symbolic Role, *The New York Times*, November 29, 1970, Sunday, p.&nbsp;194
* Guinean is Adamant On Death Sentences, *The New York Times*, January 29, 1971, Friday. p.&nbsp;3
* Guinea Wooing the West In Bauxite Development; Guinea is Seeking Help On Bauxite, *The New York Times*, February 15, 1971, Monday Section: Business and Finance, p.&nbsp;34
* Political Ferment Hurts Guinea, *The New York Times*, January 31, 1972, Monday Section: Survey of Africa's Economy, p.&nbsp;46
* Guinean, in Total Reversal, Asks More U.S. Investment by Bernard Weinraub, *The New York Times*, July 2, 1982, Friday Late City Final Edition, p. A3, Col. 5
* Guinea is Slowly Breaking Out of Its Tight Cocoon by Alan Cowell, *The New York Times*, December 3, 1982, Friday, Late City Final Edition, p. A2, Col. 3

* In Revolutionary Guinea, Some of the Fire is Gone by Alan Cowell, *The New York Times*, December 9, 1982, Thursday, Late City Final Edition, p. A2, Col. 3
* Guinea's president, Sekou Toure, Dies in Cleveland Clinic by Clifford D. May, *The New York Times*, Obituary, March 28, 1984, Wednesday, Late City Final Edition, p. A1, Col. 1
* Thousands Mourn Death of Toure by Clifford D. May, *The New York Times*, March 29, 1984, Thursday, Late City Final Edition, p. A3, Col. 1
* Ahmed Sekou Toure, a Radical Hero by Eric Pace, *The New York Times*, Obituary, March 28, 1984, Wednesday, Late City Final Edition, p. A6, Col. 1
* In Post-Coup Guinea, a Jail is Thrown Open. Clifford D. May. *The New York Times*, April 12, 1984, Thursday, Late City Final Edition, p.A1, Col. 4
* Topics; How to Run Things, Or Ruin Them, *The New York Times*, March 29, 1984.
* Guinea Airport Opens; Capital Appears Calm, *The New York Times*, April 7, 1984.
* Guinea Frees Toure's Widow, (Reuters), *The New York Times*, January 3, 1988.
* How France Shaped New Africa, Howard W. French, *The New York Times*, February 28, 1995.

* Conversations/Kwame Ture; Formerly Stokely Carmichael And Still Ready for the Revolution, Karen DeWitt, *The New York Times*, April 14, 1996.
* Stokely Carmichael, Rights Leader Who Coined 'Black Power,' Dies at 57, Michael T. Kaufman, *The New York Times*, November 16, 1998.
* 'Mass graves' found in Guinea. BBC, 22 October 2002.
* Stokely Speaks (Book Review), Robert Weisbrot, *The New York Times Review of Books*, November 23, 2003

; Oda secondary sources

* Graeme Counsel. "Popular music and politics in Sékou Touré's Guinea". ''Australasian Review of African Studies''. 26 (1), pp. 26–42. 2004
* Jean-Paul Alata. Prison d'Afrique

* Jean-Paul Alata. Interview-témoignage de Jean-Paul Alata sur Radio-France Internationale Archived 2018-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
* Herve Hamon, Patrick Rotman L'affaire Alata
* Ladipo Adamolekun. "Sekou Toure's Guinea: An Experiment in Nation Building". Methuen (August 1976). 
* Koumandian Kéita. Guinée 61: L'École et la Dictature. Nubia (1984).
* Ibrahima Baba Kaké. Sékou Touré, le héros et le tyran. Jeune Afrique, Paris (1987)
* Alpha Abdoulaye Diallo. La vérité du ministre: Dix ans dans les geôles de Sékou Touré. (Questions d'actualité), Calmann-Lévy, Paris (1985). 
* Kaba Camara 41. Dans la Guinée de Sékou Touré : cela a bien eu lieu.

* Kindo Touré. Unique survivant du Complot Kaman-Fodéba
* Adolf Marx. Maudits soient ceux qui nous oublient.
* Ousmane Ardo Bâ. Camp Boiro. Sinistre geôle de Sékou Touré. Harmattan, Paris (1986) 
* Mahmoud Bah. Construire la Guinée après Sékou Touré
* Mgr. Raymond-Marie Tchidimbo. Noviciat d'un évêque : huit ans et huit mois de captivité sous Sékou Touré.
* Amadou Diallo. La mort de Telli Diallo
* Almamy Fodé Sylla. L'Itinéraire sanglant

* Comité Telli Diallo. J'ai vu : on tue des innocents en Guinée-Conakry Archived 2018-02-12 at the Wayback Machine
* Alsény René Gomez. Parler ou périr
* Sako Kondé. Guinée. Le temps des fripouilles

* André Lewin. Diallo Telli. Le Destin tragique d'un grand Africain. Archived 2018-03-14 at the Wayback Machine
* Camara Laye. Dramouss Archived 2018-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
* Dr. Thierno Bah. Mon combat pour la Guinée
* Nadine Bari. Grain de sable
* Nadine Bari. Noces d'absence
* Nadine Bari. Chroniques de Guinée (1994)

* Nadine Bari. Guinée. Les cailloux de la mémoire (2004)
* Maurice Jeanjean. Nadine Bari. Sékou Touré, Un totalitarisme africain
* Collectif Jeune Afrique. Sékou Touré. Ce qu'il fut. Ce qu'il a fait. Ce qu'il faut défaire.
* Claude Abou Diakité. La Guinée enchaînée
* Alpha Condé. Guinée, néo-colonie américaine ou Albanie d'Afrique
* Lansiné Kaba. From colonialism to autocracy. Guinea under Sékou Touré: 1957–1984
* Charles E. Sory. Sékou Touré, l'ange exterminateur
* Charles Diané. Sékou Touré, l'homme et son régime : lettre ouverte au président Mitterrand
* Emile Tompapa. Sékou Touré : quarante ans de dictature
* Alpha Ousmane Barry. Pouvoir du discours et discours du pouvoir : l'art oratoire chez Sékou Touré de 1958 à 1984

## External links

* 1959 ''Time'' magazine cover story about Sékou Touré
* WebGuinee – Sekou Toure Archived 2018-03-18 at the Wayback Machine Publishes full text of books and articles as well photos of Sekou Toure
* Camp Boiro Memorial. Extensive list of reports and articles on the notorious political prison where thousands of victims of the dictatorship of Sekou Toure disappeared between 1960 and 1984.
* More information about Ahmed Sékou Touré (French)
* BBC Radio: President Sekou Toure Defends One-Party Rule (1959).
* Conflict history: Guinea, 11 May 2007. International Crisis Group.
* 1st page on the French National Assembly website
* 2nd page on the French National Assembly website